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The teaching of U.S. History in an accurate and inclusive way has become a very controversial topic as politicians have weighed into education and made attempts to suppress the teaching of any U.S. History that deviates from the traditional, Eurocentric perspectives. The debate surrounding how U.S. History is taught has caused many black and brown parents to demand a history curricula that are more reflective of the experiences of people of color in this country. Additionally, many black and brown parents have cited their desire to educate their children about history and culture as a primary reason for choosing to homeschool.
Until recently, even traditional homeschool history curricula have been problematic, being Eurocentric in perspective, inaccurate, dismissive, and biased towards people of color. With more minority families choosing to homeschool, there has been a definite push for more inclusive U.S History curricula. Woke Homeschooling’s Oh Freedom is a homeschool curriculum, created by an African-American homeschooling mom, that seeks to fill in the gaps left by Eurocentric-based American History curricula.
What is 'Oh, Freedom' ?
‘Oh, Freedom’ is not a textbook containing some form of expository text or narrative. It is more of a daily curriculum guide that lays out how to utilize the textbooks, literature, and videos it recommends for each of the six eras of American History it covers.
In addition to purchasing the ‘Oh, Freedom’ curriculum, parents will need to purchase or acquire a variety of books, a subscription to the 1491 mini-series , along with the recommended textbooks. While that may sound like a potentially expensive acquisition, here’s the great news–I was able to find some of the books and textbooks through my local library. Additionally, the subscription to the videos series was super affordable!
While I typically favor an open and go history curriculum that features a textbook or spine and optional access to other reading materials, I can appreciate Woke Homeschooling’s approach. Children get to read the perspectives and writings from various sources and then synthesize the information they learn to form a more nuanced understanding of key concepts. A textbook will at times only cover the surface of certain areas, but books and videos can often go into more depth.
What I Love About This Curriculum
While there is some initial parental effort needed to acquire the resources recommended with the ‘Oh, Freedom’ curriculum, the daily reading and writing required for students provides a holistic approach to reading and understanding American History. The work that homeschoolers will do with this curriculum can count for not only history but also literature and writing.
I love the variety of resources recommended by ‘Oh, Freedom’ because it provides homeschoolers with variety and options as to what they choose to read. Where one book or textbook may not be a fit for a student, other options are recommended that can be supplemented.
I believe utilizing a variety of materials from different resources helps children to think critically and evaluate not only their feelings about the events of American History, but to think deeper about the impacts of history. The literature and video resources can act as catalysts for meaningful conversations with parents.
I love that ‘Oh, Freedom’ addresses the experiences and contributions of Native Americans and Black people with grace. Many of the oppressive experiences of people of color in American History can be painful and difficult for young minds to process. I think it’s a wonderful that the ‘Oh, Freedom’ curriculum also provides resources for prayer and journaling to help homeschoolers process their feelings concerning these topics. It also helps them to maintain a balanced perspective;to have hope and to appreciate the progress as well as the struggles towards a better nation.
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