Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology Mahala Dyer Stewart published a piece in The Conversation about her research on how black Americans homeschool for different reasons than whites, and how this dynamic unfolds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research shows that whereas most white parents homeschool to make sure their children get an education more tailored to their needs and talents, most black parents homeschool to remove their children from what they see as a racially hostile environment.
The piece speculates that reasons parents previously decided to homeschool – whether they are black or white – will likely not change or disappear as a result of the pandemic. However, concerns about sending children back to school amid the pandemic could become an additional reason that families decide to homeschool.
