Anti-Racism and the Homeschooling Community
With the incredible interest and growth in the homeschooling community due to the pandemic, families from all backgrounds are considering homeschooling as an option for the first time. We asked MHLA Board Member, Krysten Callina founder of Mastermind Adventures, to create a post about things we are learning about diversity and anti-racism.
There's a lot of talk about race in the media lately.
The murder of George Floyd, although not the first crime of its nature, has ignited a fire in communities in the U.S. and across the world to highlight the inequities that have existed in our societies for centuries.
Organizations and companies put out statements against racism. They updated policies and procedures. They donated to communities and causes that support anti-racism.
I am white. My husband and children are white. But I am lucky enough to have family and loved ones from many diverse backgrounds who really matter to me. I worry about them and what the future might be like for all of us.
But like most white people, I don't think about the color of my skin as I move through the world - I don't have to. And as I educate myself by reading and listening to discussions about anti-racism, I become more aware of the need for more discussion and more education within my own circles. I recently joined this discussion offered by WGBH about creating an anti-racist classroom. One of the panelists pointed out that growing up in a white family and community, not only do we not talk about race, we are discouraged from talking about race. It isn't polite. So when this topic comes up, we are uncomfortable. We don't have the language. We get stuck and don't know how to move forward, so instead we avoid it altogether.
What does that have to do with homeschooling?
Racism is not just the problem of one person or a group of people. Racism is the structures that exist that support these inequities. Racism is the system that put barriers in the way that prevent people of color from accessing the same opportunities available to white people. These barriers do not have to be intentional. Many times they exist by omission, by the lack of consideration, contribution, leadership and education that create safer, more diverse spaces.
The homeschooling community is simply one more system that exists where one can see these inequities first-hand. Take a look at any of the board photos of the home education advocacy groups, including our own. The leadership does not reflect a diverse community, and is therefore un-affirming to families of color and other marginalized groups.
What the MHLA is committed to doing
On Monday, July 27, MHLA held its first feedback forum with families of color and families with mixed race. This is what we learned:
Socio-economic / class considerations exist, but that doesn’t do away with the need to focus on and talk about racial issues.
Access to information is a barrier. In other words some families don't even consider homeschooling as an option because they don't know about it or are given misinformation. This leads to smaller numbers of families of color in the homeschooling communities and support groups.
Once parents have access, lack of inclusion, lack of models, lack of environments that reflect / celebrate cultural identity of Black/Latinx and other non-white homeschoolers create an un-affirming environment for children and families of color.
We examined our purpose and mission statement for the MHLA: (emphasis added to relevant parts)
The Massachusetts Home Learning Association, founded in 1987, is a voluntary unincorporated organization known informally as The Association or MHLA. MHLA is an advocacy and education organization which endorses home learning as an alternative to public or private schooling. MHLA informs and educates families, school officials, the media, elected officers, policymakers and other constituencies about the benefits, societal impacts and unique educational methods of homeschoolers. The organization does not represent any one political or religious viewpoint. In the spirit of harmony and collaboration, MHLA aims to unify Massachusetts homeschoolers and their representative organizations, to form a common voice dedicated to maintaining and broadening homeschooler freedoms.
Action Items
With this in mind, the MHLA is looking for ways to actively provide education and support to marginalized communities, and to amplify the voice of non-white homeschoolers.Locate more non-white homeschool groups and co-ops who can provide an infrastructure of support for families across Massachusetts. If you know of a group not listed on our support page, please email us so that we can add them.
Create educational materials that can be disseminated by our community partners in the geographic locations to educate more communities about homeschooling and existing supports.
Offer education to existing co-ops and groups on anti-racism. By educating those within the system, we may be able to eliminate the micro-aggressions that contribute to unwelcoming spaces.
Offer presentations to the greater homeschooling community by people of color.
Amplify events, activities and resources for the non-white homeschool community.
Create a section of the website with resources on anti-racism.
Create space at the table for the voice of non-white homeschoolers in leadership.
Thank you for such a timely and important article. Much appreciated.
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