Fare Of The Free Child

This week's episode in the Parent Founder series features the “wise old woman” voice of Leslie Bray. Leslie is the space-holder for Kid Cultivators, a homeschooling collective that makes space for other learning styles, such as unschooling. She'll speak about how to start a learning group that fulfills emotional and educational desires while still prioritizing partnership-centred and trust-based parenting. She also stresses the importance of centering oneself, allowing for grace in the face of transition, and other hella-necessary gems for folks looking to build what they need for their children and themselves. #BIPOCinSDESupport the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschoo

This week’s episode in the Parent Founders series features the voice and experiences of Yolande Tomlinson. She co-founded Anna Julia Cooper Learning and Liberation Center (AJC), “a cooperative, learner-centered, and self-directed community, rooted in a radical Black queer feminist politic, and a multi-generational, decolonized community of care, healing, and intellectual exploration where learning opportunities abound.” Yolande has two beautiful daughters who inspire a lot of her work and her shifting. She’s gonna share with us today the backstory and a bit of the logistics around co-founding this Self-Directed Education space in Atlanta. #BIPOCSupport the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://w

This week, as part of a series on parent founders of Self-Directed Education spaces, you’ll share in one woman’s journey. Sonia Fernandez Leblanc, a White woman who was born and raised in Dominican Republic, and her husband—a Black man from Puerto Rico (who was raised in St. Croix and in Dominica where his family is from)—are raising two brown girls in the American South, and wants to be part of the change in relationships among people in the world by raising more self-aware, socially just, liberation-minded children. Sonia will tell you how she ended up creating community, joining efforts with her community, and finding, then founding, the Sudbury approach that met her community’s needs. Her Baltimore beginnings, her dismay around education, moments of jealousy and plenty of joy, all of it, straight from Sonia, founder of Nashville Sudbury School in Tennessee, US. #BIPOCinSDESupport the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. T

This week, I feature the voice and sentiment of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the writer, storyteller, feminist mama who inspired our travels to Soweto from Johannesburg last December. We went for a Black authors’ book festival, but this isn’t a recap of Abantu. Thanks to Chimamanda, Soweto, and Abantu, I can share this example of partnership-centered parenting. This is an example of what the work of raising free people can look like in a moment, when we as adults get to choose trusting a child over controlling them. I have li'l snippets from just crowd sounds and good shit from Abantu, but mostly, this is just me telling you what happened with Marley and me that day. This is me telling you a bit about choosing to live in alignment with what you believe, and recognizing how that choice begins to arrange your entire freaking life in ways that offer you opportunities to move into deep work in the world and in our own self. In your household. In your relationships, in your politics, in your purpose. #BIPOCinSDE

This episode, we're recapping the Liberation and Education Summit that happened this month in metro Atlanta (Clarkston) Georgia. Maleka Diggs, Tamika Middleton, and Patty Zavala all discussed aspects of racial equity in Self-Directed Education. The panel was moderated by Kelly Henderson, Ph.D., and the related conversations during the conference were co-facilitated by the staff of the summit producers and hosts, Heartwood Agile Learning Center, whose founders spoke with us on FOFC about solutions to pervasive whiteness (aka white supremacy) in Self-Directed Education. You’ll hear the full panel discussion about race, equity, and personal realizations that stem from the decision to self-direct and to allow that each of their children. You will also hear from Dr. Ta-Tanisha Randall, an attendee of the summit, and a passionate SDE advocate in her own right. I’ll also tell you where in America you’ll find me hosting or inciting the types of conversations that happened at the summit, including Philly, New Yor

Love, Trust, Identity – that’s the flow of the conversation Kelly Henderson will guide us on for the duration of this episode. She is a college professor, and an unschooling mama of five children. She is brilliant and funny and hella focused on Black Love, and I’m talking beyond romantic love. I’m talking love that liberates individuals and communities. Love that reshapes classrooms and class structures. Love that creates worlds and relationships rooted in levels of trust and love that we cannot even begin to imagine. Well, let’s begin imagining today…Kelly will get us started. Here are some of the best bits from a lovely, liberation-minded conversation between she and I. Here’s to Black Love and liberation! #BIPOCinSDESupport the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be

Let’s have a conversation about spirituality in parenting. So much of what we do and affirm and get validated by is schoolish in nature, and toxic for us. It’s a prove it, show your work, impress someone in authority, push past this, show up like this, be normal in this way, and be exceptional in this way—lot’s of external stimuli motivated by outside ideas of what one should be, how to perform, how to be labeled as worthy, whether people agree with our dreams and goals, etc. On this episode, Nuola, Moji, Shauntae, Diauni, and I talk about a few of the ways we approach spirituality and connectedness, and I want you to listen good. Don’t just listen; listen good. #BIPOCinSDESupport the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happe

'A conversation on the freedom of education through the lenses of Self-Directed Education, what freedom in education looks like, and how we can create liberatory practices in ourselves and our communities.”Support the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

"We need to have a conversation about developing a set of tools and a solidarity around raising free people who are also aware people. This is vital especially since we’re not using tools of oppression in attempts force our children into an awareness of our deeply unjust society. We need to normalize the conversation and safe space-making in takes to explore this, and this is one effort in that direction. We’re not raising children in a bubble, so the conversation and tools are an inevitably necessary part of the journey to raising free and aware people.  Raising free aware people is how we work toward dismantling oppressive systems – systems that they will inevitably face and be oppressed by, or systems they will face and benefit from while oppressing others.  It’s a cycle that we need to break, and it will not happen if we are not deliberate and clear about our intentions. Raising free, aware people isn’t a mere conversation topic, it is a responsibility we have in endeavoring to help transform our wor

Is mindful parenting sustainable? Can Caribbean people, for example, with all our deep familiarity in the art of loving yet intimidation-based parenting, actually learn how to consistently be in respect-based, partnership-centered relationships with our children? Can our children call us on our b.s. and still feel not only safe, but heard and respected for expressing their truths? Hell yes, and in this episode, we’re talking candidly about the beauty and the mess of how that goes down. We’re starting Season 4 with the perfect blend of discussions around personal and communal soulwork. We’re talking about the togethering of ourselves in terms of emotional stability and clarity inside the work of Raising Free People, and we’re talking about community gatherings in support of this work. Akilah talks with Maleka Diggs of Eclectic Learning Network about some of the stickier parts of conscious parenting, what she does to manage those moments, and what she plans on doing throughout the year to support her city and h

This is a supporting resource for adults to go through the rationale, the benefits, the urgency, and the solutions inside of, a life that gives a child the room to own their educational journey, and to understand themselves as lifelong learners, and not merely temporary students who need to impress adults in order to feel validated and purposeful. In How to Focus on Learning (also called HFL the Webinar) you’ll learn 10 key terms that will put on you on path for discovery and deschooling around how to support a self-directed learner. We'll start with defining and giving examples of Self-Directed Education, and then branch out into the ten terms that will bring context, discussion, and smarter questions about transitioning from coercive education to liberated learning.  Support the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/

In this final episode of Season 3, Kris and I talk about the training and travels we've done in the past few months, and how they've helped us strengthen our practice of partnership-centered parenting. We talk about what it means to not have a master in the contemporary sense, and I share a more community-oriented approach to facilitating conversation and training around raising free people. I also announce The First 100, the project that will index all 100 episodes of the podcast, making it easier for people to search for specific resources! I also ask for a transcriptionist to send me a quote, or reach out about transcribing a one-hour conversation I recorded, but that can't be used because of the background noise. We also laughed a lot, and talked that real-shit talk (hehe!). So many important aspects of liberation and learning came up during our conversation; you will absolutely get something you can use! Support the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to

“Transitioning to homeschooling was eye opening. This method uncovered how much my own conditioning about learning impacted my daughters. The system was a well-oiled and self-sustaining machine burnt into the recesses of my conscious and unconscious; marionette to the system. A natural learner myself, all that was left was to let go. But unschooling? Initially the term was off putting, but unschooling created a platform to acknowledge and work toward my own liberation. School is not synonymous with learning and when children are genuinely interested, the joys of learning unfold. Now, I am extending my experiences and knowledge with families as an unconventional education advocate with a focus on Black/Brown communities. My work is in providing support through resources and programs that empower, inspire, and create actions that impact families in positive, long-term ways.” Maleka Diggs, founder of Philadelphia’s annual Homeschool Conference and Explorer’s Day CampSupport the showDig this show? Join our make-i

Jennifer "Astarte Rising" Lane is the mother of two grown unschoolers. She, along with the wisdom of Itiel McVay, another long-time unschooling mama, are our guides for this episode. Itiel (purveyor of amazing self-care body-and-soul resources over at smellgoodspa.com) reads our second-to-last letter of support for the season, and it deals with fight or flight reactions in parenting. Astarte's interview is also rooted in the "fight" aspect of pushing past societal pressure to reduce our children to students inside a harmful system. She moved from Texas to California, began homeschooling, transitioned into unschooling, and has learned so much about courage, learning, and the power of a well-cared-for human spirit along the way. You will hear the realities of fear-based choices navigated with strength and self-trust. You will hear encouragement and reminders that can help you strengthen your own capacity to trust learning, to trust children, and to trust yourself. Support the showDig th

In this final episode of Surviving Survival Mode, Monique had the pleasure of talking to Darcel of The Mahogany Way Blog. They talked about what Survival Mode looked like for Darcel as a single mother unschooling with her kids. We get into what she did to maintain a sense of self, the reality of feeling hopeless and at the same time how having a glimpse of hope helped her emerged out of survival mode and set her plans to Bloom aka Thrive in 2018.Support the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

We're talking about healing work this week! Sonia Fernandez LeBlanc was already on Episode 42 talking about getting free and taking her daughters, and the families in her Nashville community, along for their own versions of freedom. Now, Nashville Sudbury School is open, and the work has evolved. In this episode, Sonia and I talk about the ways that liberation work (through unschooling) can be a portal to deeply personal, healing work. We talk about ways to integrate more mindfulness and self-inquiry in the process of raising free people, and the risk of losing ourselves to the overwhelm of progress. This week's Dear You letter is embedded in this conversation, all up and through--enjoy!Support the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively t

As an American African, part of Moji's deschooling journey has been unlearning and pointing out white supremacy in all it's hidden forms.  In this episode Moji uses bits of the book "The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses" to emphasize the need to disrupt supremacy and colonization in gender activism and activism in general. Moji asserts that American schools and culture are rooted in white supremacy and ignorance and western activism can lead to low-key colonization, and offers a space to unlearn habits of supremacy that lead to intellectual & ideological colonization and marginalization of cultures of color.      Support the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-ha

Sometimes, it's okay not to be okay. This week's letter of support for people raising free people offers that reminder, plus some tools for standing in that truth. Plus, an important story about pushing past discomfort so you can make participate in the type of change you want to see in the world.Support the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

Episode 94 is the 3rd takeover of Wellness Spiral with Moji Yai plus support letter # 4. Wellness Spiral: This is Elena's second pregnancy, her first was 22 years ago when she gave birth to beautiful twins! Elena and I discuss the differences so far between her pregnancies, why she decided not to join childbirth education classes, how intuition and knowledge of her body helped her through stressful hospital miscommunication and much more. Elena has dedicated her personal and professional life to self-awareness and self-care, she is the founder and CEO of Bodeology, a health, fitness and beauty spa, and Wellness for Women, a non profit that empowers low income women and victims of violence with holistic therapy, care, and education.Support the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifes

"It’s not on you to prove that homeschooling works." I agree with Julie Bogart for sure...BUT, as much as I would love for all of us to be able to be all, 'Aye, this what I’m doing for and with my family, and if you nuh like it you can gweh!' It’s not always that cut and dry. We can’t always do that, for one main and major reason; today’s letter of support is centered on the people whose reality reflects that one reason. After our letter, you’ll hear a short piece from Romain Sinclair, a brilliant young man who is in month 5 of Praxis, which is a 6-month training based on the premise that the college degree is DEAD, and what young folks need is life experience. #BIPOCinSDESupport the showDig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively throug