Fare of the Free Child

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 43: Unschooling Studies Jun 27, 2017

Show notes

Do unschoolers study? Is there a curriculum in unschooling? In this episode, Marley, a 13-year-old unschooler who happens to be my daughter discusses her current curriculum. She is deeply immersed in dance/performance, writing/research, and game design. Find out how structure develops naturally, how we address personality conflicts, and of course, we offer laughter and good vibes all up and through. Here's what life looks like for an unschooling teenager.

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Ep. 42: Starting Your Own School in Nashville Jun 21, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Tennessee-based edupreneur, Sonia LeBlanc, brings us personal insights along with solid statistics about the southern United State’s school classifications and exemptions. She talks about how to Start a School in Nashville, Tennessee, specifically a Sudbury Valley School (a democracy-focused Self-Directed Education center) in Nashville.

We learn how in Maryland, for example, people looking to start their own schools begin by forming their own church, then opening up a school under that church’s legal umbrella. In Tennessee, it’s much more than that. Sonia explains the process and how it differs from other states.

Sonia, a White woman who was born and raised in Dominican Republic, and her husband—a Black man from Puerto Rico (who was raised in St. Croix and in Dominica where his family is from) are raising two brown girls in the American South, and wants to be part of the change in relationships among people in the world by raising more self-aware, socially just, liberation-minded children. #POCinSDE

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Ep. 41: Demilitarizing Myself Jun 13, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, I talk with my sister-friend, Veronica, a retired servicewoman who now calls Atlanta home. “A majority of young adults, like me, spend their late teens and early 20’s grooming themselves into who they desire to be and stripping away the collected ways of everyone else. What I’ve heard it most referred to as is the time that most children rebel against their parents but it’s far from that. It’s actually the time that old children become young adults and began to shape who they want to be as much as they can. Sad to say, autonomous growth is not allowed in most institutions or households so it takes place later in life than it should if you ask me. I was no different this process took place way later at least that’s what it felt like but for some, it may be even later. So here I am, creating what feel right for me. Giving myself permission to do any and everything differently and autonomously, and creating space that allows women to transition into a self-guided spiritually grounded living and growing lifestyle post military.” – Veronica Ashley

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Ep 40: Woke AF Parenting 101 Jun 06, 2017

Show notes

Yolonda Jones: creative spirit. writer. professional photog.professional natural hair stylist. professional singer. professional black girl as Dr. Yaba Blay would say. Yolonda’s crown rises high like her ambitions and her intentions. She and her partner, her husband, Will, are raising 4 free people, two daughters and twin sons, while simultaneously raising themselves as creatives, as business owners, as people with flaws and fire. Yolonda and Will have a blog called The Real Life Joneses where they risk expression about life in and beyond the brokenness. They talk about PTSD, depression, liberatory approaches to education and living with children, infidelity, creative brilliance, all of it.Support the show

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Ep. 39: Mask-Free Relationships May 30, 2017

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In this episode, Los Angeles-based natural learning advocate, Genesis Ripley, talks about the myriad of ways the liberated parenting journey has changed her for the better. She shares some of the ways it helps to grow her and heal her relationships. The reality for Genesis is that this approach to parenting and living is helping her to better understand herself and the people she spend time. I can agree, as unschooling has an inevitable side-effect of shedding and strengthening friendships and even our own relationships with our parents at times. We talked about how our children get to be themselves, which frees us up to recognize the ways that we’ve been holding on to things that aren’t even about us, but we just didn’t recognize our own freedom to let that stuff go.

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Ep. 38: Unschooling in Joburg May 24, 2017

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13-year-old unschooler, Marley Richards, talks about her experiences with facing fears, navigating new territories, and making new friends across South Africa.

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Ep. 37: Unschooling As Digital Nomads May 18, 2017

Show notes

This episode, Akilah's special guest is Kris Richards, her husband. Listen in as they talk about their experience at Re-Imagined Learning Center run by two young, Self-Directed Education advocates, CheVanni and Sebastian David. They'll also answer a patron's question about how the manage to live the digital nomad lifestyle. Great conversation with lots of takeaways to feel through. Enjoy!

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Ep. 36: Can Adults Be Unschoolers? May 09, 2017

Show notes

In episode 36, Atlanta-based military veteran and entrepreneur, Veronica Ashley, talks about being an unschooling adult. Veronica spent a few days with Marley and Sage (my daughters), and saw quite a few parallels between her own journey to a greater leadership role in her own life. In learning more about herself, freeing her mind from much of the training and trauma that cost her so much, Veronica is deschooling herself and embracing a life design of her own accord. Listen in as she talks about learning from Marley and Sage, nurturing healthy partnerships, and fostering autonomous growth.

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Ep. 35: My Reflection Matters May 02, 2017

Show notes

Here’s the story about how a Nuyorican woman who worked atNew York University as a social justice coach for educators is now living a life that evolved from a great career nestled inside academia into now unschooling her two Afro-Latinx sons, Judah and Keanu, along with her Trinidadian husband, Shane. Unschooling, as you’ve heard me say since the very first episode of Fare of the Free Child, is a tool for liberation. And of course, liberation don’t fit in no box, so for Chemay, liberation isn’t just for her family, it’s a path she wants paved clear for all Black and Brown folks to have the resources to liberate themselves too. So, to do that work, Chemay is in the heat and heart of building an community-centered organization, a space called My Reflection Matters, that provides tools to support and nurture healthy racial and cultural identities of Black and Brown children and older youth.

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Ep. 34: Designing Liberation in Africa Apr 26, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, we connect with an African-American living in Africa. Kaylan’s story is very much about about directing her own path, going against the norm to design a liberatory practice that for her meant exploring life outside of corporate America and the standard American dream. She runs a blog titled African-American in Africa, which is where I first learned about Kaylan. She is now married and she and her husband have a young son. Kaylan is learning how to make space for her son to develop his own interests outside of the things Kaylan associates with a happy childhood. Plenty of life lessons in parenting, equity, history and politics, and so much more for this adventurous, conscious Mama. This is a great episode; enjoy!

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