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Motivations, Sacrifices, and Challenges: Black Parents’ Decisions to Home School

The Urban Review volume 41, pages 369–389 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

This study examines home schooling among Black parents by providing insight to Black families’ beliefs, concerns, and desires for their children’s education. To date, the literature remains void of empirical work related to home education among African American families. However, the present study directly addresses this void. Findings demonstrated that parents’ motivations to home school included issues related to race and home-school interaction. In addition, Black parents reported that religious beliefs influenced their decisions to home school. But, unlike their Caucasian counterparts, Black home educators described a more liberatory form of religion.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for a Spencer Foundation Small Research Grant that supported the project presented in this article. The statements made with the article however, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Spencer Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Elementary and Social Studies Education, University of Georgia, 427 Aderhold Hall, Athens, GA, 30606, USA

    Cheryl Fields-Smith

  2. Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA

    Meca Williams

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  1. Cheryl Fields-Smith
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  2. Meca Williams
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Correspondence to Cheryl Fields-Smith.

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Fields-Smith, C., Williams, M. Motivations, Sacrifices, and Challenges: Black Parents’ Decisions to Home School. Urban Rev 41, 369–389 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-008-0114-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-008-0114-x

Keywords

  • Home schooling
  • African American education
  • African American families