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BLACK CULTURE, HOMESCHOOLING, TRAVEL (AND OTHER THINGS FROM MY SWEET, IMPERFECT LIFE)
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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
Fostering a Healthy Literary Life
Though I speak and write about many other things, books have always been one of my core passions in this space. I decided early on to raise my...
Worldschooling in London
Before heading to Accra, Ghana to settle in for an extended stay, we decided to detour to Europe for a little worldschooling in London. The city is...
Picture Books About Refugees, Aslyum-Seekers, and Migrants
As part of my lesson plan research, I ran across several children’s books highlighting stories of people who are refugees, asylum-seekers, and...
Our Commitment to Worldschooling
Some of the most efficient and fulfilling ways to raise global citizens are humbly exposing children to meaningful world travel and teaching them to...
Handicrafts: Ideas for Homeschooling
Handicrafts, or handcrafts, are practical or decorative objects made by hand. Often pursued today simply for personal enjoyment, many handicrafts...
Worldschooling Packing List
I shared our Ultimate Packing List for International Travel With Kids five years ago before heading out for our first Worldschooling trip. We still...
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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 his ragtime compositions and was...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
How Audiobooks Helped Me Get My Groove Back
It's no secret that I've struggled to get on board with digital and audiobooks. I've never been an early adopter of any technology - more because I...
Am I Committed to Racial Reconciliation?
When I wrote about my family's need to be around other black homeschoolers, I was scared to publish it. I was afraid to open myself up for unwanted...