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BLACK CULTURE, HOMESCHOOLING, TRAVEL (AND OTHER THINGS FROM MY SWEET, IMPERFECT LIFE)
Hey there!
I’m Amber
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My name is Amber O’Neal Johnston, and I started this website to document and discuss the joys and trials of raising my kids to love themselves and others.
The Latest Posts
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Writing Forewords for Special Books
One of my favorite opportunities as an author is writing forewords for special books, and I especially enjoy working with publishers who are...
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Teaching Kids About HBCUs
I love teaching kids about HBCUs. I don't need a special reason to celebrate the beauty of historically black colleges and universities, but...
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Slavery at The Hermitage
Andrew Jackson was known as "The People’s President," but of course, it depends on which people you’re talking about. Last week, we spent time...
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Teaching Historical Truths
I recently had the honor of being interviewed about teaching our children historical truths by The Learn + Live Letter blog. They asked me to share...
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Book Club Notes: Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World
I lead a book club for boys ages 8-10 in our local homeschool support group, and we recently read Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by...
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Finding Good Books on Biblioguides
People often ask me where I find the books that I read with my kids, and the best answer is "here, there, and everywhere," but I do have a few...
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Sharing My Homeschooling Journey With Others
I just jumped back into the saddle after taking a break from writing for much of this school year. But while you haven't heard much from me here,...
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African American Folk Songs: Elizabeth Cotten
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (1895-1987), best known for her timeless song "Freight Train," built her musical legacy on a firm foundation of...
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African American Composer Study: Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin (November 24, 1868 – April 1, 1917) was an African-American composer and pianist. He achieved fame for...
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African American Poetry: Effie Lee Newsome
Effie Lee Newsome was one of the first African American poets who primarily published poems for children. She was the author of one volume of...
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Cultivating Relationships With Living Authors
As I was writing this post, I kept stumbling on the title because "living" has an alternate meaning in the CM world. So let me start by saying that...
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The Joy and Sorrows of Representation
You know how your closest friends know you so well that they can curate life for you? Knowing and being known is a major refrain in my friendships...
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African American Picture Study: Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Lawrence (September 7, 1917 – June 9, 2000) was an American painter known for his portrayal of African-American life and is among the...
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African American Picture Study: Horace Pippin
Horace Pippin (February 22, 1888 – July 6, 1946) was a self-taught African-American painter. He served in Europe during World War I where he lost...
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Life Without Extracurricular Activities
The Freedom of an Empty Calendar. Saying Goodbye to the Hamster Wheel of Busyness. A Blissful Schedule. Any of these could be perfect titles for...
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African American Picture Study: Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden (September 2, 1911 – March 12, 1988) was an African-American artist who worked with many types of media including cartoons, oils and...
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Preparing for Puberty: A Period Kit
I've been a mom of "littles" for so long that my identity is linked to that life stage. My youngest is three, so the label still fits, but times are...
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African American Picture Study: Henry Ossawa Tanner
Henry Ossawa Tanner (June 21, 1859 – May 25, 1937) was an American artist and the first African-American painter to gain international acclaim....
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African American Charlotte Mason Picture Study
#PictureStudySoWhite you'd think black folks were allergic to paint. If I could remember the password to my Twitter account, I'd tweet that right...
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The Reality of Living in a Triple Threat Neighborhood
Last week there was a post on our neighborhood app from a guy looking for advice for homeschooling his 9th grader who had fallen in with the wrong...
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I Want to Be Home Base
When I was in 3rd grade, my teacher asked us to write about what we wanted to be when we grow up. I wrote "A wife and mother," and my mom kept that...
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When “Really Good” Books Hurt
I love books. I really, really do. The emphasis on living books is one of the things that led me to Charlotte Mason (CM). It resonated with me, and...