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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
Including #OwnVoices Books
Q: Amber, how do you feel about books featuring Black characters or people written by non-Black authors? My answer: Writer Corinne Duyvis...
7 Benefits of Launching a Kids’ Book Club
When I launched Heritage Book Club nearly seven years ago, I had no idea that it would grow to be such an incredible blessing to my family and...
Stories From Modern Day Africa
For world history and geography studies, I like for my kids to read plenty of stories from modern-day Africa. I've shared picture books and chapter...
20th-Century Black History Books
These 20th-Century Black History Books cover a period of history during which segregation tightened and racial oppression escalated across the...
Early Chapter Books Featuring Black Girls
I love books about Black history, including biographies and historical fiction. It's important for our children to learn about the past tragedies...
Morning Time Plans (1900s)
These morning time plans cover the subjects and activities that we'll do together as a family. Some things are done daily; others are one to three...
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Sign up now and receive my newly expanded Family Bonds book list, a curated collection of stories tied together with the common cord of familial bonds. You’ll also receive occasional emails featuring my latest thoughts, book recommendations, and diverse educational goodies.
Gladiola Garden: My Most Cherished Volume of Children’s Poetry
When I began to introduce my children to poetry as a daily practice within our homeschool, I was struck by the homogeneity of the sweet images...
Book Club Notes: Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson
Our local homeschool support group runs five age-based book club meetings each month (teens meet weekly), and I lead the Juniors which roughly...
Tween Devotionals and Fun Novels I Can Trust
When my girls were younger, I read everything to them. As they became independent readers, I handed books over for them to read on their own, but...
How to Start a Culturally Rich Book Club
One of the homeschool activities I'm asked about most is our Heritage Book Club. It's an off-shoot of the local support group I run for black...
Breaking the Homeschooling Stereotype (BYU Radio Interview)
I am so pleased with the breadth of people and organizations that are seeking to explore the idea of homeschooling within the Black community. I...
Confronting Prejudice in Catholic Homeschool Curricula
When I was first approached about doing an interview regarding the lack of diversity in homeschool curricula, I was totally on board. I enjoy...
Growing Up Invisible
I am so excited! I've been wanting to collaborate with Erika Alicea for a while now, but we both kept getting wrapped up in other worthy projects...
Book Club Notes: Clubhouse Mysteries by Sharon M. Draper
In 2017, I started a book club for the children in our local homeschool support group outside of Atlanta, GA. Since then, the group has read dozens...
Teaching Colorism: The Power of a Story (Part 2)
Last week, I defined the term and described how colorism personally impacts my family on a regular basis, and I promised a booklist. The feedback...
Homeschooling Through the Coronavirus Pandemic: An Interview With PBS NewsHour
The sudden onslaught of homeschooling families due to the pandemic has shifted the community in positive ways. It has brought heightened awareness...
Teaching Colorism: The Power of a Story (Part 1)
My husband and I are the exact same shade of brown - so much so that we've been mistaken for siblings more times than I can count. We have four...
Podcast: Preparing for Homeschool
I was excited to have the opportunity to chat with Alyssa from Seed & Sew this week! As a guest on her Voices of Your Village podcast, I had the...
Seasons in the Life of a Charlotte Mason Homeschool Mom
Today I have the pleasure of sharing a guest post from a Charlotte Mason mom with a wealth of experience - both with life and homeschooling. I...
Podcast & Blog: The Promises of Poetry
Poetry was never my thing. I didn't dislike it or despise it. I was simply indifferent. However, despite having neither interest nor nostalgia to...
Podcast: How to Diversify Your Classic Literature Library
"In the past, a lot of focus was put on being "color blind," but now that we know better, we want our children to have "color-full" experiences, and...
Video: “A Homeschool Invitation” Interview
I had a great time chatting with Kerry Ann Todd when she interviewed me for her new Homeschool Invitation series. We talked about the one piece of...