61: The Art of Bringing History and Culture to Life in Homeschooling, with Amber O'Neal Johnston

Homeschooling gives your family the freedom and flexibility to select what your kids learn, and for many Black families, this means the ability to infuse Black history and culture into your homeschool experience. This episode of the Homeschool Our Way Podcast features author, speaker and homeschool mom of four, Amber O’Neal Johnston, to share with us how she does this is her own family.

Amber's Journey to Homeschooling

Amber O’Neal Johnston’s homeschool journey began with a surprising proposition from her husband: what if we homeschool?

After initially laughing it off (she truly thought he was joking!), Amber’s perspective shifted after a pivotal encounter with a neighbor named Judy, who was a Black homeschooling mother.

Judy invited Amber into her home, which was full of love and fresh-baked homemade cookies, and their conversation that day inspired Amber with a whole new version of what homeschooling could be for her family.

The Importance of Incorporating Black History and Culture

Amber initially underestimated the importance of highlighting any type of racial or cultural distinction because she had been raised to see everyone from a “we’re all God’s children” perspective.

However, a pivotal moment arose when Amber’s daughter confronted her with this counter-perspective: you said we study important people in school, and we only study white people. 🤔

This shocking realization prompted Amber to reevaluate her teaching approach, leading her to focus their learning that summer on Black history and culture…a season she fondly called their “Black summer”. ✊🏾😉

And clearly, that summer was transformative: not only did it expose her kids to the richness of Black history and culture; it opened Amber’s eyes to the realization that integrating diverse perspectives should become a permanent aspect of her family’s education.

This led to Amber creating lesson plans that provided structured, age-appropriate literature guides and educational materials highlighting Black culture. Now, she makes those lesson plans - called Heritage Packs - available to all of us.

Key Takeaways

Representation Matters: Diverse representation in educational materials is crucial for affirming a child’s identity and helping them understand their place in the world. Seeing oneself reflected in books, music, toys, movies…basically everywhere… goes a long way in combating feelings of invisibility and marginalization.

Make Your Culture the Main Thing: Traditional education often centers on white perspectives, but focusing on diverse histories and cultures, families can provide a more balanced and inclusive education, challenging the default narrative of traditional schooling.

Amber’s homeschool journey was one with unexpected turns and “a-ha” moments. But her story is an inspiring example of how bringing your history and culture to life in your kids’ homeschool journey can truly transform your entire family.

Check out Amber's Books

• Pre-order now! SOUL SCHOOL: Taking Kids On a Joy-Filled Journey Through the Heart of Black American Culture⁣⁣⁣! (Soul School is in stores January 2025)
• A Place to Belong: Raising Kids to Celebrate Their Heritage, Community, and the World 

Explore Her Other Resources

• Heritage Packs | Multicultural Study Guides
• Check out Amber’s website & blog, and sign up for her newsletter ➡️ Heritage Mom
• Follow Amber on social media: Instagram | Facebook

 Are You Ready to Experience the Flexibility and Freedom of Homeschooling?