As an indigenous Māori mom of mixed, Black-passing girls it is really important to me that my girls are around other kids that look like them. We live in a predominately white neighborhood in Los Angeles and attend a predominately white homeschool programme three days a week. In addition to these factors, the majority of the homeschooling community in California, and in America at large, is white. For these reasons (and more) it became very important to me to connect with other families with Black kids who were homeschooling.
As many of you know, there is racism in the homeschooling community. After having dealt with a racist incident last year, I knew that it was vitally important that I find a safe space for my daughters to feel validated as Black girls. I looked around for an in-person group that was specifically for Black kids in LA that also welcomed non-Black parents, but discovered there was none. So, I decided to create my own group. With the amazing support of Homeschooling LA, I started the Families with Black Kids Meetup. We meet once a month at a park or other venue in Los Angeles. The meet up is for all families with Black kids including families who have adopted Black children. It has been a blast getting together with other families and connecting around issues that specifically affect our children.
If you are in the Los Angeles area (or close by) and are a parent of Black kids, we would love to invite you along to our next meet up! For more info check out the events page in the Homeschooling LA Facebook group or email me at amelialynch@gmail.com and I can send you the details about our next meetup! A special thanks to Homeschooling LA for supporting our Families with Black Kids Meetup!
-Amelia Butler is a homeschooling mother with roots from New Zealand. Her work is based in creating space for traditional Māori practices and dance in her community.