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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
Reading Traumatic Stories
My family likes to purchase bookish gifts for our fellow bookworm friends, and sometimes my kids want to snag a little swag for themselves as well....
Alma Thomas: Black Artist Spotlight
Alma Thomas (September 22, 1891 – February 24, 1978) was an African American artist and teacher who lived and worked in Washington, D.C. and is now...
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...
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...
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...
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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Why I Need a Black Homeschool Group: Part 2
In Why I Need a Black Homeschool Group: Part 1, I explained why I started an in-person support group for black homeschoolers and its immediate...
Why I Need a Black Homeschool Group: Part 1
This is a hard post to write. I've needed to do it for a while, but I was avoiding the heaviness that comes with trying to explain something that I...
Life-Giving Books for Black Children
I’ve written on a variety of topics that I’ve hoped would be interesting or helpful to others, but hands down, my most popular post is the one I...
Our Upcoming Charlotte Mason Homeschool Year
Homeschool planning is in full-swing. I'm taking a break from the files, paper, and charts to document my general plans. I'm doing this to make sure...
Black Families Increasingly Choose to Homeschool Kids
I was pleasantly surprised a few months ago when PBS asked if I would speak about the growth of homeschooling among black families. After a few...
Reading Hard Books
Books can be hard for a variety of reasons. There are those that Sarah MacKenzie at Read-Aloud Revival calls "messy" books with hard topics. And...
The Downside of Beautiful Books
If for nothing else, Charlotte Mason (CM) families are known for their love of beautiful books. Rich literature abounds in our households, and the...
Choosing To Be Uncomfortable
It’s easier to be with people who are like you - people who speak your language, eat what you eat, and share the same cultural lens. Not only can...
BOOK & MOVIE: A Little Princess
I'm making every attempt to cultivate a literary household. I now peruse book lists the way I used to flip through People magazine, and our...
VIDEO: Weekly Roundup – Worldschooling Q&A
I've had a flood of great questions coming in about our Worldschooling adventure. Every morning I plan to sit down and respond in a blog post, and...
Sticks, Dirt, and Rocks: Raising Kids Outdoors
This shouldn’t be a surprise, but it’s still so interesting to me. Despite all of the new things, people, places, sights, and experiences that my...
Why Homeschoolers Have a Moral Obligation to Study a Foreign Language
Becoming fluent in a foreign language is an amazing accomplishment that I hope to achieve one day. It's so important, in fact, that I've included it...
I Actually Like My Kids
I actually like my kids. There. I said it. Sadly, it seems like such an unpopular thing to say nowadays, but it's true. As maddening and...
Hard Days While Traveling Abroad
I'd love so much to say that every moment of our time homeschooling abroad is idyllic. It certainly seems like it would be. We're doing this big...
To the Mama Whose Husband Never Does Enough
Dear Mama, Your husband never does enough, and I get it. You are single-handedly taking care of yourself, the kids...and him. He goes to work every...
The Basics of Learning a Foreign Language
Before beginning a study of foreign language, it is important to determine why you’re choosing to do it because your goals will order your steps. My...