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Black History Didn’t Start With Slavery: Teaching Black History the Right Way Most of us learned Black history out of order and that wasn’t an accident. In this episode of Secular Homeschool Revolution, host Ashley breaks down why the way Black history is taught in schools is incomplete, sanitized, and designed for comfort rather than truth. This conversation explores why Black History Month exists, who fought to have Black history taught in schools, and why schools resisted teaching it honestly. More importantly, this episode explains why the order of Black history matters and why starting with Africa instead of slavery fundamentally changes how kids understand history, systems, resistance, and the world they live in today. This episode is especially for: secular homeschool families progressive parents educators questioning traditional curriculum families looking for better ways to teach Black History Month In this episode, we cover: When Black History Month started and who created it Why schools chose to teach Black history out of order How starting Black history with slavery distorts the entire narrative Why beginning with African civilizations matters How to teach Black history without centering trauma Age-appropriate ways to teach Black history (elementary, middle, and high school) A week-by-week Black History Month breakdown for homeschool families Black history curriculum and resource recommendations Week-by-Week Black History Month Teaching Framework Week 1: Africa  Black history before enslavement Week 2: Enslavement as disruption and resistance Week 3: Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and systemic backlash Week 4: Black life, resistance, and culture today This episode challenges families to move beyond “theme month” teaching and toward truth-centered, systems-aware, liberation-focused education. Resources Mentioned Your African History – African history curriculum for families https://yourafricanhistory.com/ Kamali Academy – Afrikan-centered education and liberation learning https://www.kamaliacademy.com/ EVERFI – 306: Black History (Free Curriculum) https://everfi.com/courses/k-12/online-african-american-history-curriculum/ Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) https://asalh.org/ Support Secular Homeschool Revolution If this episode supported your homeschooling journey and you want to help keep this work accessible and independent: ☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/secularhschoolrevolution Your support helps fund future episodes, resources, and community-driven content.   Black History Month homeschool, secular homeschool Black history, teaching Black history, Black history curriculum homeschool, African history homeschool, progressive homeschooling, decolonizing education, anti-racist homeschooling, Black history resources, homeschooling February Black history

This episode of Secular Homeschool Revolution is a direct call-in for white and progressive allies during this moment of ICE expansion and state violence. Drawing from Malcolm X’s The Ballot or the Bullet, Ashley challenges performative allyship, the centering of white discomfort, and the harm of “kind” white people who value politeness over action. From the misuse of Say Her Name to selective outrage and silence when it matters most, this episode makes one thing clear: allyship without risk is not solidarity. This is not a comfort episode; it’s a demand for courage.

In this episode of Secular Homeschool Revolution, Ashley explores why representation in homeschooling is not about checking boxes but about shaping identity, belonging, and alignment with power. This episode challenges homeschool parents, especially secular and progressive ones, to stop focusing on good intentions and start examining outcomes. Because homeschooling doesn’t exist outside of systems. And opting out of school doesn’t automatically mean opting out of white-centered narratives. If you care about raising kids who know who they are, understand power, and don’t grow up defending systems that harm them, this conversation matters. Listen intentionally. Teach honestly. Stay revolutionary.

I was made aware that I uploaded the wrong episode for last week! Apologies!    What does decolonized literacy actually look like in a secular homeschool beyond book lists, reading levels, and grammar worksheets? In this episode of Secular Homeschool Revolution, host Ashley breaks down how dominant literacy practices often prioritize polish, compliance, and respectability over meaning and voice, and why even progressive homeschoolers can unintentionally recreate harm at home. We explore what literacy looks like when it’s rooted in relationship, culture, and truth-telling rather than performance. From audiobooks and graphic novels to oral storytelling, messy writing, and real-world communication, this episode reframes reading and writing in ways that honor children’s voices without abandoning skill-building. You’ll hear: Why decolonized literacy is a practice, not a curriculum How dominant literacy mirrors respectability politics (and etiquette culture) What actually counts as reading and writing How to support literacy without recreating school at home What decolonized literacy is not and where structure still matters This episode is especially helpful for new homeschoolers, progressive families, and anyone questioning grade-level pressure, academic performativity, or “doing homeschool right.”

How do you talk to kids about ICE and immigration enforcement without scaring them—or sugarcoating the truth? In this episode of Secular Homeschool Revolution, host Ashley shares how she approached honest, age-appropriate conversations with her kids about ICE while living in San Antonio, Texas, where immigration enforcement presence is heavy and visible. This episode is for progressive and secular homeschool families who want to talk about current events with care, clarity, and connection. Ashley walks through how she led with questions instead of lectures, how conversations differed between elementary aged kids and middle/high schoolers, and why de-centering ourselves as parents matters when discussing hard topics. The episode also provides historical context, explaining how U.S. systems of surveillance and documentation long predate modern immigration enforcement while clearly naming that what Jewish people experienced in Germany was genocide, and how conversations about slavery and racialized control in the United States are often met with less public sympathy and urgency. To support families navigating these discussions, the episode highlights: A CNN 10 episode featuring immigration enforcement as an age-appropriate current events resource ACLU Know Your Rights resources to ground conversations in clarity rather than fear Why reading books about immigrant stories is essential for building empathy and understanding beyond headlines This episode is not fear based. It’s about truth with care, historical context, and raising kids who can understand the world without carrying the weight alone. Perfect for homeschool parents, progressive families, and educators looking for thoughtful ways to discuss immigration, ICE, and social justice with kids. 🎧 Listen now and join the conversation.

January is one of the biggest months for families pulling their kids from school to homeschool and if that’s you, this episode is for you. In this episode of Secular Homeschool Revolution, I break down what secular science actually means, how it differs from non-secular or religious science, and why “neutral” science often isn’t neutral at all, particularly for BIPOC and progressive homeschool families. This episode offers a clear, non-shaming explanation of common homeschool science red flags like creationism, young-earth theory, gender essentialism, and moral framing disguised as biology, while also comparing homeschool science to what students experience in Texas public schools. Ashley shares examples of truly secular science curricula, explains how politics and culture shape what kids are taught, and encourages new mid-year homeschoolers who feel overwhelmed or unsure. This episode isn’t about doing homeschooling perfectly, it’s about choosing evidence-based science, raising critical thinkers, and giving kids honest tools to understand the world. You’ll walk away with clarity, confidence, and reassurance that choosing secular science is an act of care, protection, and resistance. Support the podcast through Buy Me a Coffee and find resources at secularhomeschoolrevolution.com, and remember, you are raising thinkers, you are choosing truth, and you are revolutionary.

In this episode of Secular Homeschool Revolution, I reflect on what my children taught me this year that no curriculum ever could. From honoring autonomy and responding to resistance, to building emotional literacy and modeling accountability, this conversation is about flipping the power dynamic in homeschooling. I share what it’s been like watching my oldest step into her own identity at a microschool, listening when curriculum created tension instead of learning, and unlearning emotional patterns rooted in being unheard. This episode is for secular, progressive homeschool families who are committed to decolonized, relationship-centered learning and who believe children are whole people right now, not future adults in training. If you’ve ever felt pressure to “do homeschooling right,” this episode is your reminder: trust, relationship, and listening matter more than any plan.

December can feel heavy — especially for secular homeschool families navigating a Christian-centered holiday season. In this episode of Secular Homeschool Revolution, Ashley Resources Mentioned Books The Shortest Day — Susan Cooper When the Shadbush Blooms — Carla Messinger (Abenaki) We Are Water Protectors — Carole Lindstrom (Anishinaabe) Fry Bread — Kevin Noble Maillard (Seminole) Braiding Sweetgrass / Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults — Robin Wall Kimmerer Rest Is Resistance — Dr. Tricia Hersey An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (Young People’s Edition) — Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz  

Raising My Kids Without Religion Okay y’all, in this episode I’m talking about why I’m raising my kids without religion, especially in this wild political climate where folks are trying to sneak Christianity back into schools like it’s a school supply. We get into how most of us BIPOC didn’t “choose” our religion (we inherited it), how kids getting baptized  is not “their decision,” and why I’m raising critical thinkers instead of quiet, obedient little church members. I also talk about my husband’s religious trauma, the whole “church hurt” gaslighting, the messy history of Christianity and colonization, the rise of Christian nationalism, the 10 Commandments being forced on kids, and yes… I even gave a shout-out to the problematic missionaries. This episode is not anti-belief  it’s anti-fear, anti-shame, and pro-liberation. Listen on the site: secularhomeschoolrevolution.com Stay secular, stay revolutionary.

In this episode of Secular Homeschool Revolution, Ashley exposes the harmful truth behind ABEKA and Turning Point USA’s so-called “educational” materials and why BIPOC homeschoolers need to run in the opposite direction. We unpack the myth of ABEKA’s “rigor,” the whitewashed and revisionist narratives embedded in both systems, and the identity-level harm these programs inflict on Black and Brown children. Ashley also offers culturally affirming curriculum alternatives that center truth, identity, and liberation: Oh Freedom!, Blossom & Root, and Woke Kindergarten. If you’re ready to decolonize your homeschool and protect your child’s brilliance, this episode is your roadmap. Explore more resources at www.secularhomeschoolrevolution.com.

This week on Secular Homeschool Revolution, Ashley gets real about decolonizing Thanksgiving. We unpack why the traditional Pilgrim narrative is harmful, how kids can handle the truth in an age appropriate way, and why BIPOC gatherings are about community, chosen family, and togetherness, not celebrating colonizers. Learn why “Indian headdress” crafts should be retired and discover better, culturally respectful alternatives for preschoolers, middle graders, and teens. Plus, get developmentally appropriate book recommendations and guidance for raising kids who understand power, colonization, and history with intention. Resources Mentioned: Preschool: We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell Middle Grades: If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving by Chris Newell Middle/High School: An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Jean Mendoza & Debbie Reese Visit www.secularhomeschoolrevolution.com to access the full episode transcript, additional teaching resources, and consultation booking. Stay revolutionary, raise truth-telling kids, and celebrate community ... not Pilgrims.

Quick mini episode about listening to Secular Homeschool Revolution on other platforms. Also, be sure to check out new episodes on our website: www.secularhomeschoolrevolution.com

This Hispanic & Latin Heritage Month, we’re doing more than eating tacos...we’re teaching truth, survival, and resistance. Host Ashley dives into the history and complexity behind terms like Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx, exposes the contradictions in celebrated leaders like César Chávez, and centers immigrant voices often erased from U.S. history. This episode shows why celebration is resistance. Plus, practical tips and homeschool activities for teaching your kids about the real, messy, brilliant history and culture of Hispanic and Latinx communities.

In this episode, I’m pushing back on the naysayers who think secular homeschooling is “hurting” public schools. We’re unpacking the real story behind public education from whitewashed curricula and book bans to the ways BIPOC families have been erased from the system. I’m asking the hard questions: Why is it radical to build something better for our kids, but not radical when policymakers keep failing them? Tune in for truth-telling, unapologetic commentary, and take up space and stay revolutionary.

I’ve got beef with homeschoolers putting their kids in uniforms. Uniforms aren’t neutral...they’re conformity, culture erasure, and control. In this episode, I dig into their roots in the Industrial Revolution, their violent use in Indian boarding schools, and how they’re still disproportionately enforced on Black and Brown kids today. Homeschooling should be about liberation, not replication.