Professional Bio

Amber O’Neal Johnston is an established authority on including diverse voices in traditional curriculum and infusing culture and love for others into an intentional home environment. She shares her observations on education, living books, and worldschooling at HeritageMom.com, and connects with followers on Instagram @heritagemomblog. She is a regular contributor to the wildly successful Wild + Free homeschooling community, a frequent podcast guest on popular shows, and a coveted speaker at homeschool, education, and parenting conferences.

A product of public education and daughter of two public school principals, Amber never expected to fall head over heels in love with homeschooling. During one late-night session of perusing educational philosophies, Amber stumbled upon the work of nineteenth-century British educator Charlotte Mason and her home education principles. Convinced that homeschooling was a path to a lifegiving home, Amber embarked on a journey from stay-at-home mom to homeschooling enthusiast.

After wholeheartedly committing to follow a mainstream Charlotte Mason curriculum to homeschool her children, Amber became discouraged when months went by with little mention, if any, of the stories and accomplishments of Black people in her schoolroom. While the literary quality of the books may have been superior, she found that the cultural emptiness she experienced as a schoolgirl was being perpetuated within the walls of her own home.

Devoted to bridging the gap for her four children, Amber began uniquely merging traditional classics with “lifegiving books,” as well as creating a culturally rich home environment to ensure that her children’s education honored their background, individuality, and sense of self-worth.

Convinced that other families, regardless of their school choices, might be missing out on their inherent freedom to educate the whole child, Amber began sharing her personal stories and the resources she used to infuse her schoolroom with her own and others’ culture in a celebratory way. In addition to private consulting and running a local non-profit homeschool support group, Amber is a go-to voice on curating every aspect of a culturally rich and inclusive home.

Amber speaks, writes, and shares her observations on inclusive and culturally-rich home education, family history, lifegiving books, the beauty of homemaking, global travel, and more, and when asked about her path she likes to smile and say, “In my house, Charlotte Mason has an afro.”

See Amber in action:

• Speaker Sheet / Media Kit (Please email Amber with speaking requests)
• A PLACE TO BELONG: Celebrating Diversity and Kinship in the Home and Beyond (Amber’s book, published May 2022 by TarcherPerigee, an imprint of Penguin Random House)
• Upcoming Events & Speaking Engagements
  
• Podcasts & Media Interviews
• Heritage Packs (Amber’s Black history, African culture, and multicultural lesson guides)
• Instagram feed @heritagemomblog

“Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” (Psalm 127:3, KJV, italics added)