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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
Black American Fiction (1900s)
Most of the titles in this booklist of Black American fiction are truly historical fiction, taking readers to a past time and place. However, a...
Topical Nonfiction Black History Books (1900s)
I rely heavily on topical nonfiction Black history books in our school lessons. As mentioned in my post on Infusing Black History into a Traditional...
African American Biographies & Memoirs (1900s)
African American biographies and memoirs are critical components of our history lessons. In my book A PLACE TO BELONG, I write, "Biographies help us...
Black History Children’s Books (1900s)
Black history children's books covering some of the major people and events of the 20th century are a superb addition to modern history lessons. I...
Promoting Division in the Homeschooling World
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be hunted? To have people sniffing around, salivating, waiting for you to say or do something “wrong” so...
Why Our Worldschooling Trip Ended Early
After our previous worldschooling trip unraveled, my family was ecstatic about the opportunity to head out on the road for a redemptive adventure....
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Living Books vs. Lifegiving Books with Charlotte Mason
Last year, I gave a talk about books as mirrors and windows. Some of you may have heard it. There was much more to it than just this, but to...
Heritage Hymns: Curated Multicultural Hymns
“Heritage Hymns” is a curated collection of multicultural hymnal studies born of my desire to expand the traditional offering of resources for my...
17 Picture Books Featuring Black Artists
My children are drawn to stories of real-life creators fueled by passion, purpose, resilience, and imagination. We read books on all sorts of...
African American Picture Study: Augusta Savage
Augusta Savage (February 29, 1892 – March 27, 1962) was an outstanding sculptor associated with the intellectual and cultural awakening known...
Recent Podcasts and Videos: Homeschooling, Worldschooling, and Motherhood
One of the things I love most about my work with Heritage Mom is getting to speak with dynamic women who inspire me with their questions and...
Black History Books Covering Colonial America and Revolutionary War Time Period (1650-1800 AD)
I've heard from many of you who have appreciated my Black history book recommendations for Early Modern (800-1650), 1800s Slavery, Civil War &...
Hallelujah! Booklist: Bible Stories With Images of Black People
My path to including black Biblical images in our home started with a treasured photograph that I keep on my desk. It's an up close picture of me...
Book Club Notes: The Toothpaste Millionaire
I'm excited to share our experience with The Toothpaste Millionaire with you. Each month, I try to share the notes I use while leading a book club...
Soulful Hymns for a Culturally-Rich Hymn Study
I recently wrote about how we approach Charlotte Mason hymn study in our home. One of the things that continues to bring us joy is incorporating a...
Books as Mirrors & Windows With Simply Charlotte Mason
I recently had the pleasure of sitting down to chat about books as mirrors and windows with Sonya Shafer from Simply Charlotte Mason. We had a great...
Book Review: Christmas Gif’ by Charlamae Rollins
I just have so much to say about this book. It is not a typical Christmas book and I mentioned it in African American Christmas Books We Love,...
Hymn Study in a Charlotte Mason Home
One of the hesitations I've heard from some moms who are considering a Charlotte Mason education is the sheer number of subjects being covered. They...
African American Christmas Books We Love
I am not sure whether to break out in a version of "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things" or "Deck the Halls" because this list is both: all of our...
Charlotte Mason Handicrafts: Clay Modeling
I had (most of) the equipment ready to go for clay modeling last Friday. Admittedly, I had to google "armature" and decided we were going to be...
Setting the Spark: Podcast Interview
I recently had so much fun speaking to a couple of homeschool mamas from my own neck of the woods. I chatted Lorien Magnus and Destiny Kosarick, the...
Book Club Notes: Ansley’s Big Bake Off
Our local homeschool support group has read a variety of books over the years, and we're always on the hunt for something fun and interesting to...