How to Find Community as a Black Homeschool Family
I originally wrote about how Black parents can find a community for themselves and their children in 2017. I have been homeschooling with my children since 2009, and I wanted to share what worked for my family and me in a blog post. Five years later, I'm updating the post, and much of my advice and learnings remain the same.
"Community" continues to be a buzzword in the homeschooling world and beyond due to our ability to connect through various methods and technology. However, while we have access to one another, we can still struggle to find a community that is a good fit. When I started my homeschooling mother career, I initially and intentionally didn't seek out other homeschooling families. I wanted to get started and create an educational experience specifically for my children's needs. To do this, I chose to find my way before taking in the thoughts, ideas, and opinions of others on the journey. When we started homeschooling, the number of Black families on the homeschooling journey was much less than today's. This means that conversations focused on Black culture within the greater homeschool community would be limited. I couldn't risk information overload, especially if the information provided would take me further from the ultimate goal of my family.
The number of African-American homeschoolers has made a gradual increase each year since we started homeschooling, with more Black households choosing an alternative path to education to ensure that they have control of their children's best interests and the freedom to teach culturally relevant information along with more opportunities for interest-led learning. While there are more Black homeschool families, finding your people within local communities can still take effort.
African-American homeschoolers still aren't highly represented at home schooling conferences or co-op groups unless they attend the annual homeschool conference hosted by the Georgia Black Home Educators Network, where I had the honor to be a keynote speaker at the first conference in 2023. Finding other Black homeschoolers can be challenging, especially if you aren't in a city with a higher African-American population. When we started our journey, we lived in one of those cities in Illinois. After I got my footing as a homeschooling mother, I knew I had to find other school-aged children for my daughters to engage and interact with.
Where can African-Americans find a homeschool community?
Seek out online homeschool communities with a Black presence.
When I started seeking out other Black homeschooling moms, I started online. The first organization I encountered that emphasized homeschooling Black children was National Black Home Educators, run by Joyce Burges. I appreciated finding this resource because it showed me that my family was one of many choosing not to follow the traditional school route. Still, it didn't provide me direct access to other families in my area. So, I kept looking and joined a multi-racial group. Within the support group was a section set up specifically for Homeschool Moms of Color. There weren’t many Black people in the group, but I was happy to be able to interact with other Black moms. It also connected me with my first real-life Black homeschooling friend, who also happened to share my birthday, and we're still connected to this day.
Your options for finding an online community are more expansive than over a decade ago; now, more online communities are geared toward African-American homeschoolers. Groups like the African-American Homeschool Moms on Facebook are very active, and you can also search for local Facebook groups.
To find groups that might fit your interests, check out 15 Groups Every Black Homeschooler Should Know About. Many African-Americans Homeschool moms write about their homeschooling lifestyle, and you can read their stories.
Start here when looking for Black online homeschool communities
There are many, many, many groups on Facebook. You should check out Black Homeschooling Families, African-American Homeschool Moms, and Melanated Homeschooling Families Support Group. These communities are active, and there are often threads about connecting locally.
While you are on Facebook, search out local groups in your area. Several groups in larger cities are geared towards African-Americans, like African-American Homeschoolers of Charlotte and Minorities Homeschooling in Houston.
There are also hashtags on Instagram, such as #blackhomeschool365 and #blackhomeschooling, that can lead you to Black homeschoolers in your community.
Be the face of your own in-real life homeschool meetup.
Hanging out online is cool, but there comes a time when you want to see people in real life. Meetup.com has been my go-to place for creating new homeschool communities. I learned early on that we weren't a homeschool co-op family, but social groups can be a great resource for creating a safe space for your kids. I often choose Meetup over Facebook when creating local groups because Meetup is specific to making real-life connections. It's part of the company’s terms of use. If you start a Meetup account, you must be willing to get your group together in real life. Since my daughters and I are the faces of the groups, often families of different ethnic backgrounds are willing to join. It's like saying, "You're welcome here." It takes a collaborative effort to keep groups going, so encourage your group members early on to be part of the planning.
Start here when creating your own group
Sign up on Meetup.com. Most of the time, people in your area are looking for something similar to the group you will create. Meetup.com does charge a fee, but you can charge a small fee to the group to offset the costs if you don't want to cover it all by yourself.
Create a Facebook group for your area with the intent of getting together. Please don't make it another online social hangout place since your goal is to interact in real life.
Remember the purpose of your group. You don't have to start a co-op to have a group. You can get other homeschoolers together for social interaction, field trips, and learning non-academic topics like painting, canoeing, or Disc golf.
Hang out at places where most homeschoolers go.
This one is pretty simple—go to where most homeschoolers hang out. You are bound to run into at least one Black homeschool family if you frequent the places all homeschoolers go. When we moved to Tennessee, I went to the local gym because I found in a local parenting magazine that there was a weekly homeschool gym class. We didn't go to the gym class on our first visit but arrived at the community center shortly after class ended. I met other African-American homeschoolers simply by showing up. Going where other homeschoolers go, you also learn about activities and field trips you learned about because you interacted with other homeschoolers. Regardless of race, I have had moms share with me about different activities in the community. The insight into local homeschool happenings is beneficial when finding your true community.
Start here when going to the homeschool hang outs
Think about the places most homeschoolers go. Homeschoolers often frequent libraries, museums, community centers, gyms, and parks. Plan to visit one of these places each week to increase the chance of meeting other African-American homeschoolers.
Don't be shy about asking moms who aren't Black if they know any other Black homeschooling families. In our previous city, I did. It not only allowed my non-Black friends to help me seek the community I desired but also made them aware that we are minorities in the homeschool community.
Community is important when traveling the homeschooling path. As homeschooling moms, we have a ton of responsibility, from teaching to managing our homes; for some of us, we even have jobs or businesses to manage. To make it on this journey without losing our minds, we must have support and friends to share our highs and lows.
How have you found community as a homeschooler?
If you enjoyed this post, read Thoughts About Being a Young, Black Stay-at-Home Mom.