Nonfiction / Education
Date Published: 10-06-2024
Educational Disobedience is a compelling and transformative guide for parents, educators, and advocates committed to reimagining traditional educational systems. Drawing from her extensive experience as an educator, homeschool advocate, and law enforcement professional, Dr. Mabry challenges the conventional paradigms of schooling that often fail underserved and marginalized students. With practical advice and deeply personal insights, she explores how parents can use homeschooling to reclaim their children’s education.
Dr. Mabry argues that educational disobedience is not about defiance but about empowerment—empowering parents to resist systems that perpetuate inequity and disempower children, particularly those from at-risk communities. She provides a roadmap for creating individualized, flexible learning paths that focus on student well-being, literacy, and personal growth. The book also highlights how cooperative educational models, like her own Tiers Free Homeschool Cooperative, can serve as community-driven alternatives to traditional schooling.
Educational Disobedience is not only a call to action but a beacon of hope for parents seeking to revolutionize their children’s learning experience. It’s a must-read for those ready to challenge the status quo and advocate for educational justice.
Excerpt
The Original Educational Disruptor
My grandfather grew up during an era when teaching Blacks to read and write was downright dangerous. He was given an opportunity to learn because he passed as white. Passing is a concept with deep historical roots, particularly in the United States, where individuals of mixed race, especially African Americans, would present themselves as white to avoid racial segregation and discrimination. I have some experience with this too because as a feminine-presenting African American lesbian, I often rely on the ability to blend in when I’m in public or unsure about the safety of my surroundings. I imagine my grandfather felt much the same way.
When my grandfather married my grandmother, his ability to pass became limited in many situations. So, he gravitated more to the Black community where my grandmother was accepted. In the 1940s, they lived in an area with other Black sharecroppers, but my grandfather was the only sharecropper who could read and write.
My grandmother knew how dangerous this was for him and their family so she frequently discouraged him from making this fact public knowledge. I grew up hearing my mom say, “Never let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.” As a kid, I learned this meant to keep secrets. As an adult, I realize this was the passage of generational trauma.
The turning point for my grandfather came during one harvest season when he watched so many sharecroppers being cheated out of profits that were rightfully theirs. My grandmother begged him not to challenge the status quo but my grandfather knew an injustice when he saw it, and this time he leveraged his passing privilege to change it. One by one, my grandfather began teaching the Black sharecrop- pers how to read, write, and count their money. He explained what working on halves truly meant and showed them how to sell some of their harvest on their own instead of turning everything over to the land owner.
About the Author
Dr. Annise Mabry is an educator, advocate, and founder of The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation. She specializes in alternative education and community engagement, with a focus on creating inclusive and empowering learning opportunities.
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