Shows
Fare of the Free ChildEp 270: Following Our Rhythm, Knowing When to Let GoWhadddup, Listener homie! I hope you're listening to this final episode thinkin' Daang, Akilah really helped me get more aligned with the type of person I wanna be. Who are you now that you have experienced some of these conversations here on the podcast? My answer to that question is that I am more zoned in on the embodiment of the unschooling skills, which currently look like:Shifting my seminary studies from interfaith/interspiritual ministerial ordination to Integrative Thanatology at the Art of Dying Institute (this is so aligned with what the past four...2023-08-1824 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 268: Freedom Is For Your Grown Ass Too!Join Akilah as she journeys through the third path to Raising Free People: For Me not Them. Learn the languaging that helps you, the adult, the independent person, move through discovering confident autonomy and other themes that come through as you traverse the pathway of personal leadership.This week we continue our exploration into liberation and self-direction from Seasons 6, 7, and 8. Among those who got their flowers are Yolonda Coles Jones, Leslie W. Bray, and Vanessa Molano, who have provided essential tools for this journey. Karen M Ricks, Tony Galloway, and Amelia Allen Sherwood. Karen explored the correlation...2023-07-2931 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 264: From Schoolish to Sovereign to SavoristIn this episode, we'll explore the concept of savorism, a term Akilah coined to savor the spaciousness, slowness, and richness that comes from integrated unschooling. Sit with us for storytime about how Akilah's family made the shift from conventional school to homeschooling to unschooling. It was an experience that caused her and her partner to pause, reflect, and listen more to their children's needs. Hear how they fought against the 'stuckness' of conventional schooling and forged their own paths. This episode also gets into the important difference between pace and rhythm as we set out...2023-06-2936 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 257: Spirituality and Intuition in This Self-directed LifeThis is the first episode of Season 9 and we’re delighted to dive into the work of shifting our spiritual and intuitive work to include our raising free people practice. This feels important because while some of us might already see the connection between our commitment to raising free people and the cultivation of our spiritual and intuitive practices, not all of us do. For some of us, the weight, pressure, and pace of our daily responsibilities make that particularly difficult to name, let alone practice. For some of us, the fatigue and frustrations that come with lack of co...2022-11-0933 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 256: Season 9 Preview - Tuning In To The ThemesAs we continue our preparation for Season 9, you are invited to listen as Naaz (also known as Fatima) Mookadam tell us what showed up for her as she listened to Akilah S. Richards’s conversation with Dr. Crystal Menzies. You’ll hear much of that conversation in Season 9, so for now, hear Fatima’s insights and Akilah’s invitation to you. If you missed our first teaser, listen to it here. We are so excited to be centering the voices of five women who are deep in their own deschooling journey!Chemay Morales JamesDr. Cr...2022-10-2006 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 255: Season 9 Preview - Notes from the other side of the PauseWhat's on the other side of a pause? Last season, we leaned into a focused pause, over and over, episode by episode. We also took that pause with us when the episode ended, and now we are ready to slow-walk our way into what arose for us, and for you.Listen as Naazneen (also known as Fatima) Mookadam and Akilah S. Richards speak to some of the themes we'll be sharing this season. You'll hear the voices of all five women who are centered in season 9. Here they are in the order you heard them in this e...2022-09-2822 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 254: Listening Party for ‘E. for ExplorationGrief. Avoidance. Funky energies. We’re wrapping up Season 8 with all kinds of feelings in the mix. How do we embrace or transform these feelings as they arise? That’s the pausewerk, and this week we arrive at E, for Exploration.“Noticing your behavior in that moment is about noticing that moment, which is really powerful. It grounds you in the now.” Akilah encourages us to trust the wisdom that emerges from a pause, and Domari shares a story speaking to this experience.Domari reminds us that pausewerk is deschooling work. It’s the little moments wh...2022-06-0455 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 251: S. for Sorting and Shedding - What’s good for YOUR family?This week in Episode 251, we droppin’ gems around the S. in P.A.U.S.E. S. is for Sorting and Shedding. Domari (put her links here as usual) starts us off with a nursery rhyme remix to remind us about the side effects of neglecting to slow it on down sometimes!This week, Akilah offers us seven distinctions between process and practice. She reminds us about a convo with Tiersa McQueen Think about what feels present, the models of living and learning that you practice, and what you might need to pivot aw...2022-05-1114 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 250 - Listening party for ‘U. for Understanding’Peace, #fofcpod fam! This week we’re still focused on the letter U for understanding as part of our P.A.U.S.E.werk. Domari (of Positive and Purposeful Parenting) and Akilah hosted the listening party, and Jonie, Reese, Ana Maria, and Erica joined live to share and hear feedback and touchpoints. Together, they reflected and inquired about our relationship with understanding, how autonomy and trust are intertwined, the many layers around discomfort, compassion, trust, and then some.Let’s agree to disagreeOur two hosts reflect on what...2022-05-0545 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp. 249: U for UnderstandingThis week we’re focused on the letter U for understanding in our P.A.U.S.E.werk. Listen as we talk about the language of conscious parenting, the difference between dialogue and discussion, and then some.Domari and Akilah take us through some of their noticings about how understanding and control impact their relationships, and not just as mothers. Also, be ready for an insightful convo about an Instagram post where Ieishah Clelland (our Season 7 Co-Producer) questioned gentle parenting as a privilege. Akilah cites Dr. Sundiata’s distinction between dial...2022-04-2829 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 248: Listening Party Replay for ‘A. is for Absences’Welcome #fofcpod fam! This episode is the continuation of our Listening Party Replay around the letter A (for Absences) in PAUSE. We’ll be inquiring more about what’s missing, understanding, compassion, and boundaries as we navigate through the ups and downs that may arise from this PAUSEwerk. Domari of Positive and Purposeful Parenting is in da house along with Ana Maria, Lou, Antoinette, and Joni who joined us in the Live Chat. Let's get into it!Domari named some of the things she has been noticing around her relationship with her children. The words that...2022-04-2139 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 246: Listening Party for “P. is for Pain Points”This week on #fofcpod we're serving insightful thoughts, feedback, and resources based on our current PAUSEwerk flow.The letter of the week is P, for Pain Points: What’s the matter? What took you here? What things feel like pain, discomfort, uncertainty? What is coming up for you and for the people that you’re closest to right now?This episode is our first Listening Party, the space where we focus on your feedback about an aspect of pausing, as well as our own insights and struggles.Akilah and Domari continue unra...2022-04-0723 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 245: P for Pain Points: What’s hurting you? What’s hurting them?It’s storytime #fofcpod fam and we‘re so excited to continue with this 70-day PAUSE journey along with the amazing Domari Dickinson of Positive and Purposeful Parenting.Ep 245 is live! We’re listening and taking a look at the skills that are happening in between the defined things. In this episode in particular, we are observing the ways we react to our pain points, so breathe in, breathe out, pull out your pause pad, take some notes, and let’s play together! Remember that we’re in the process of noticing what sometimes can’t be easily named...2022-03-3129 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 244: There is Real Power in the Pause tho!Season 8 is here and we are kickin’ it with the homie, Domari Dickinson of Positive and Purposeful Parenting. She is our co-producer for the season, and we’re in alignment about the need to spend all season on the importance of slowing down, and pausing.We’ve got invitations, resources, and some songs too! We are so grateful to you all #fofcpod fam and Make it Happen family for your love and connection throughout this journey. Our team got some rest, and we’re back with this focus, so we hope y’all ready to get and do this PA...2022-03-2429 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 242: Expansion and Feedback About LanguageWe're continuing our language vibe this week on #fofcpod episode! First, you'll hear from Juan Pablo Pérez, audio manager of Fare of the Free Child, as he shares his thoughts on Episode 241: Freeing Your Approach to Language Studies (with Marley Richards). He talks about his experience as a Spanish native speaker who, like Marley, taps into language as a way of developing an identity that includes more than the culture he was born into. Juan's interests in music, for example, sit outside his cultural background, and those experiences help Juan Pablo to feel a strong sense of self t...2021-12-2438 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 241: Freeing Your Approach to Language Studies (with Marley Richards)Welcome #fofcpod fam! Today's vibe is insightful conversation about language acquisition, culture, and how to learn stuff, with seventeen year-old unschooler, Marley Richards. Japanese and Korean languages are integrated parts of Marley's daily practices, so she shares with us some of the ways these languages have influenced and impacted her identity as a Black girl. Marley also speaks about some of the tools she uses for language study.What are some ways you can support your/a child in expanding their experience with a language they want to learn? #maddquestionaskinLong story-short…...2021-12-1638 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 240: Series closing: Māori Mother WisdomThis week on #fofcpod we are closing the Māori Mother Wisdom series about liberation-centered parenting and living. We've had the pleasure of connecting with Māori stories from Mea Rapata, Angella Smith, Moana Reihana, and Tina Talaić. These are select excerpts from our feel trip (live group meetups about our episodes), where Akilah and our series co-producer, Ieishah Clelland-Lang, vibed with Mea, Angella, and some of our Village family. We reflect on the importance of the trustworthiness of feelings, and the levels of connection that live inside active listening, and non-verbal language, as well as other kinds of hum...2021-12-0951 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 239: Vibin' off Māori Mother Wisdom (The 'Feedback' Episode)#MaddquestionaskinWhat does it mean to own your sense of sovereignty?Welcome to another #fofcpod episode. As you know we’re in the thick of the wonderful Māori Mother Wisdom series, and are vibrating with gratitude for your engagement with us, in all of this goodness. We kick off this episode with feedback from author, speaker, activist and educator Sonya Renee Taylor who has been listening to this series and loving it! We also share some feedback we’ve gotten from Jonie, Yolande, Got2BOshun, and Kateri (thank y'all!). Then Akilah and Ieish...2021-12-0241 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 238: On Māori Mother Wisdom (The 'Old Knowings' Episode)Welcome #fofcpod fam! We’re getting into our second exploration on the Māori series co-produced with the incredible Ieishah Clelland-Lang. This 4-part series centers Māori unschooling mothers’ knowledge and narratives, to invite us to deepen our understandings of the layers within motherhood, childhood, community, and culture. Join us and listen to Ieishah’s conversations with Angella Smith and Tina Talaić, plus a a bit more from Akilah.If you're feeling these episodes, don’t miss our Feel Trip about this Māori series! On Friday, December 3rd at 4pm EST, Ieishah and Akilah w...2021-11-2657 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 237: On Māori Mother Wisdom (The Language Episode)Basically this:We talk about reclaiming language, sovereignty, relationship with motherhood, community, culture, intergenerational relationships, childhood, ancestors, and unschooling among other key topics. In this episode you will hear about intentional living and parenting why's and what's in Te Reo Māori (Māori language) and also in English.The whole story...#fofcpod has teamed up with brilliant writer, nomad, and unschooling mama, Ieishah Clelland-Lang to co-produce this 4-part series centering fours Māori unschooling mothers' wisdom and invitation. They are all based in Aeotearoa (Māori name...2021-11-1857 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 236: Can we deschool our approach to holiday/family stress?This week on #fofcpod, we’re inquiring about the idea of an unbothered child. Is “unbothered” a status reserved for worthy adults? Or can children claim it too? We’re moving through some thoughts around liberation work and education perceptions that center the decolonization of intergenerational practices, so this also means Madd Question Askin’ time!Listen in as Akilah acknowledges how our family members and friends might feel about unschooling during the holidays, and some of them may not understand what unschooling and other types of Self-Directed Education look like. Because of this, they sometimes openly question some of th...2021-11-1121 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp. 234: Kris joins Tony for the recap of #fofmanchild (Feel Trip)We're closing out Tony Galloway's series on manhood and masculinity this week, and the convo, as usual, is fyah! Kris Richards joins Tony to wrap up this season's Fare of the Free (Man) Child series with reflections from past episodes and current events. The two talk about identity, adulthood, diversity, childhood, gender, manhood, power dynamics, masculinity, and some of the different labels around those topics. Because definitions are always going to be biased to our experiences, they discuss some of the ways their environment has molded them as they grew up, and reflect upon what they were taught compared...2021-10-271h 03
Fare of the Free ChildEp 233: Deschooling Manhood and MasculinityWelcome to another #fofcpod episode! As you know, October is Fare of the Free Man Child month, so get comfy and join our special host Tony Galloway Jr. in conversation with ten of his college fellas: Elijah Martin, Terry Lyles, Travis Amsterdam, Markyle Rondon, Kyle Moore, Sheps King, Fred Spite, Henri Battiste, Deshon Jones, and Curtis Webb.Each shares their thoughts on gender roles, accountability, and the complexity in naming masculinity due to the many layers around its meaning. Tony and friends navigate and question some of the previous notions and narratives they had around manhood and...2021-10-2046 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 232: Learning (and Unlearning) MasculinityWelcome #fofcpod fam! We are so excited to share a new episode with our special host Anthony “Tony” Galloway Jr. This is Tony's third venture on the Fare of the Free Man Child series. If you missed the first two episodes go check them out:Episode 215: Fare of the Free Man Child (A Tony Galloway Ting).Episode 224: Deschooling Adulthood with Tony GallowayIn this episode Tony and two of his college roommates, Anthony D. Janifer and Stanley D. Cochran Jr., explore their perspectives around masculinity and manhood. They question, among other topics, the way...2021-10-131h 00
Fare of the Free ChildEp 231: New Moon, New Wounds, Same ResistanceThis episode is so that we can bring some new moon energies as we understand them, to some of Akilah’s motherwork, to the ways that she is continuing to understand resistance from the perspective of her daughters resisting things, sometimes resisting her, but other times resisting things that she feels like they should not resist, things that they should accept, things that feel important or healthy for them to accept.If you've been rocking with us here, you know we've talked about versions of this many times over in past episodes in terms of resistance as a...2021-10-0630 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 230: Marley on Studies, Reflections, and Self-InquirySubject Sprint: a learning method for designing a mindful approach towards learning and structure in a sustainable way. - MarleyWhat does productivity look like and feel like when we get to choose topics that interest us? #maddquestionaskinThis week on #fofcpod, Marley Richards, 17-year-old unschooler and SDE advocate, brings a follow-up from Episode 193: Developing a Self-directed Mindset. She speaks about her learning struggles in 2020, and the ways she used Subject Sprints to re-center her passions.Marley asks and invites questions about the progression of education, the differences between quantity and quality, the r...2021-09-2923 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 229: Flowing into Season 7 like…We’re back from our much-needed break and ready to rock with you for Season 7 to continue this journey together of healing, exploration, liberation and change. Thank you for being part of our #fofcpod fam! This season we’ll keep our three-part flow, with a few deviations from that structure wherever it feels right.Here's what to expect during Season 7:This season our contribution to the many ways we invest in our liberation from tools of oppression will include continued collaborating with some of the busiest folks in this moving for liberatory learning and...2021-09-2416 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 228: Mobile Black reads, more feel trips, and two Open House invitesJust dropping by with an in-between seasons episode filled with invitations and big announcements! #fofcpod Sign up to the email list for Raising Free People Workshop 2021, this year we'll be focusing on Discomfort and Discovery, so join us for a virtual workshop divided in two segments, one on Family: Adult-child dynamics, parenting, the other (the Grown folks segment) will discuss Adult relationship dynamics, particularly in marriage/romantic involvement.Be sure to visit Black Worldschoolers Bookstore, a wonderful project from our fellow liberation-minded mama, Natalie Pipkin. Listen to some of the previous conversations w...2021-08-0216 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 227: Feel Trip Replay | Deschooling Our MarriageWe’re so excited to share our Feel Trip recap and final episode of Season Six. We will be playing some snippets from a live conversation that Akilah and Kris had with some of our listeners and Make It Happen Family members. They reflect on trust, language, destination peddling (nope, that ain’t a typo), and how all of those things affect our most important relationships. They also chat about the opportunities for facing and resolving our struggles with attachments. Watch the video of the entire convo on our Youtube Channel. Raising Free Peopl...2021-07-1033 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 226: (Feedback) Deschooling Our MarriageIt’s the second-to-last episode of Season Six, and today we’re going back in time to our Season One intro while we reminisce for a bit. Later this week, on July 10th we’ll play a clip from Episode 0 to celebrate our 5th anniversary! Today though, you’ll hear what some of our listeners had to say about last week’s episode Episode 225: Deschooling Our Marriage (Pt 1) and about Episode 224: Deschooling Adulthood with Tony Galloway. And one listener, Dani McClain has a great book you should check out titled We Live for the We....2021-07-0720 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp. 225: Deschooling Our Marriage (Pt 1)This week on #fofcpod: We are now all up in Part 1 of this 3-part season finale flow! Listen to this insightful conversation between Akilah, her partner Kris, and their oldest daughter, Marley. They process their feelings out loud about how trust, language, and "destinations" help us move from performance and fake-assness over to practicing authenticity and partnership in our relationships. Stay tuned for our Feel Trip with Kris and Akilah on July 6, 8:30 pm EST. Make sure you don’t miss any of our Feel Trip invitations by joining our podcast village. Here are some of the gem-drops you’ll hear...2021-06-3038 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 223: Karema Akilah #ATL #UnschoolingThis week’s #fofcpod episode is a solo jawn, mainly because Akilah wanted to share the local community spotlight segment that will be part of Season 7. So, expect for the 3-part episode flow to be accented by single episodes like this one and Fare of the Free Man Child with another ATL local, Anthony “Tony” Galloway, Jr. who you’ll hear next week. Today’s guest is brilliant entre/edupreneur, Karema Akilah Greene from The Genius School. So much goodness in here!Karema shares how she got interested in Self-Directed Education, and how, as a detail oriented person, sh...2021-06-1640 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 222: Feel Trip | Untigering with Iris Chen (Pt. 3)Welcome again Fare of the Free Child community! In episode 222 you’ll hear excerpts from our feel trip with Iris Chen, author of Untigering: Peaceful Parenting for the Deconstructing Tiger Parent along with our fellow unschooler, Tiersa McQueen. Iris and Akilah talk about multigenerational learning and unlearning, the differences between respect and relationship with the elders, collective change, cultural distance, relationship skills and how we can feel honored and honor other people too, learning to coexist and grow together. Tiersa joined the discussion, and poured her usual awesomesauce all in the mix. If the excerpts just ain’t enough, you can...2021-06-1237 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 221: Untigering with Iris Chen (Pt. 2)Sending love to all of the families and descendants of theTk’emlúps te Secwépemc community, who are dealing with the tragedy of discovering the bodies of 215 children who lived at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. We share the official statement from Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc Kukpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir. May their families find a way to be at peace.---On this week’s #fofcpod you'll hear feedback from our community members. Regina, Sarah, and Ana Maria share their thoughts about previous episode 220: Iris Chen on Culture, Childhood, and Consent with Iris Chen fro...2021-06-0228 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 220: Iris Chen on Culture, Childhood, and ConsentThis week’s episode opens the first segment of our three-part flow from a mindful conversation with Iris Chen of Untigering. Iris is an unschooling mom and author of Untigering: Peaceful Parenting for the Deconstructing Tiger Parent, an authentic and vulnerable narrative about parenting as an Asian-American with cultural awareness, consent, love, and survival all blended in. Iris will also join us next week on a Feel Trip episode and we would love to hear some of your feedback prior to that! The week after that (on Saturday) we’ll bring you a recap of that Feel Trip. Make sure...2021-05-2630 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 219: All In My Feelings About Family MeetingsIn this week’s #fofcpod episode, you’ll hear the first part of a conversation that sprunt up after a family meeting Akilah, Kris, Marley, and Sage had earlier this year. Akilah is calling this episode an “all in my” situation because she sees herself as being all up in her feelings (and fully accepting the presence of those feelings) while she’s unlearning the power-over dynamic. For sure, this conversation comes from a vulnerable and intimate space, and it felt important to Akilah and Kris to share the raw feelings without trying to offer “solutions” to resolving them. Kris and A...2021-05-1927 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 218: (Pt 3) Black Folks in Montessori EducationOn Episode 218 we’re sharing snippets from our Feel Trip recap with Amelia Allen Sherwood (Montessori and Anti-bias | Anti-racism Educator at Elm City Montessori School and founder of Sankofa Learning Center) and fellow unschooling organizer, Tiersa McQueen. Amelia shares her perspective on the Montessori method and describes it as a tool in which we can decolonize processes and honor our children. We discuss the need to continue to question everything related to schooling, and to nurture ideas that improve autonomy-building, community care, partnership and trust-building. Listen and watch the full conversation here.In case you haven’t liste...2021-05-1539 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 217: Black folks in Montessori (Pt 2)Hey y'all! Thanks for staying tuned and welcome to another Fare of the Free Child podcast episode. In this conversation we are sharing some feedback from Episode 216: Exploring Black Lived Montessori Experiences with Montessori and Anti-bias | Anti-racism educator, Amelia Allen Sherwood. Join us to hear from our listener-fam, Regina, who has a couple of questions about the history of Montessori and whether Montessori programs serve teenagers. We also have some special invitations and liberation tools that will enrich and help us strengthen our raising free people muscles.Need-to-knows:Don't miss our next Feel Trip...2021-05-0721 min
Fare of the Free ChildEP 215: Fare of the Free Man Child (A Tony Galloway Ting)In collaboration with Atlanta-based Self-Directed Education profession and facilitator, Anthony “Tony” Galloway, Jr, we are so hyped to broadcast the premiere episode of Fare of the Free Man Child!Tony is one of our Presence Counselors here at Raising Free People Network and the founder, director and facilitator of The Heartwood School, a local Agile Learning Center. Throughout this series, Tony reflects on his own self-directed journey and his views on adulting and adulthood as he approaches his 30’s. Tune in to hear him riff on finances, politics, mental health, race, schooling, unschooling, manhood, and masculinity.“I w...2021-04-2114 min
Fare of the Free ChildEP 214: Food. Play. Mindfulness. (Pt. 3)This week, we’ve got important need-to-knows to share with you, plus a feel trip recap from our conversation with Karen M. Ricks from the last two episodes, and Tiersa McQueen, who always brings the real-real! We shared experiences and stories around food and learning, and you’ll hear about our connections between food and memories, food and relationship building, food-centric education, food habits, food joy, and the many ways that food is related to our consent-based practices with children. In case you haven’t listened to the first part of this three-part flow, here’s Episode 212: Food, Pla...2021-04-1734 min
Fare of the Free ChildEP 213: Food, Play, & Mindfulness (Pt. 2)INVITATIONS: The Fix Yo Face Deschooling Parenting Challenge starts soon! Get details here.Want to join our Feel Trip with Karen next week? Register here.---Today we’re featuring listener community feedback from Episode 212: Food, Play, & Mindfulness with Karen M. Ricks. Join us to hear listeners share their love and experiences with food and how it all intertwines with the processes of natural learning and connecting with family and community. We’re also joined by Val from Plant It Up Podcast who tells us all about her relationship with nature and h...2021-04-0723 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 212: Food, Play, & Mindfulness with Karen M. RicksSeason 6 of Fare of the Free Child Podcast begins today, and we are so excited!! This season we’ve slowed down our listening process so that every topic can get three full episodes of conversation and connection. The first part is an invitation to deepen our perspective on a relevant topic, the second part we’ll be listening to community feedback about that topic, and the third episode will be a recap or replay from a live, group meetup (we call those feel trips), to bring our knowledge and questions together real-time. Want to make sure you don’t miss f...2021-03-3132 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 210: What to Expect in Season 6 (Invitations, Feedback, & Feel Trips)Welcome back! Today, As promised, you’ll get all the details on how we'll be flowing in this new season on Fare of the Free Child Podcast. Season 6 will be filled with practice tools and liberation content related to the ways we are building community. Our community is part of My Reflection Matters, come through and join us in Fare of the Free Child Village.Put these important dates on your calendar:March 24: A live session with unschooling mama and advocate, Tiersa McQueen, to talk about the difference between process and practice....2021-03-1717 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 209: Katrina of How She Got Free PodcastOn the last stop of Akilah’s tour of introductions to all the hosts on our network, you’ll meet Katrina Monique and hear about her upcoming show, How She Got Free Podcast. Katrina Monique and Akilah have an insightful conversation about what liberation can mean in the process, the many layers that self awareness and healing have, the struggle and joy when Katrina completely embraced herself, what does it mean to live with depression and more.Before that convo, Akilah gives a hint of what’s coming next month with Season 6, and tells you her plan for ma...2021-02-2439 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 208: Lou of Grief, Growth, & Goals PodcastOur featured host and guest during this week’s version of our month-long love fest is Lou Hollis of Grief, Growth and Goals podcast (#3GPod), a space for sharing insights about healing work while parenting after grief and depression. Lou is a model and actress with more than 25 years of experience in the talent industry, both as talent, and as talent management and mentorship. Grief, Growth and Goals podcast (#3GPod) is a healing space where Lou chats with child talent, parents of talent, bookers, agents, agency owners, about business, but more so about managing life and staying gro...2021-02-1823 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 207: Updates on Plant It Up + Introducing P.O.U.R.In this in-between episode on #fofcpod Akilah chats with Val Anderson, creator and host of Plant It Up podcast, and Leslie Bray of the upcoming podcast, P.O.U.R (Purposely Openly Up to Relationships). Plant It Up podcast is part of a larger plant initiative, and focuses on Val's deep love for plants and how it relates to self-care and liberation work practices as well. Make sure you connect with Val and Our Plants and Juicecapades! Leslie’s segment includes a few clips from her old episodes, as well as details about P.O.U.R...2021-02-1426 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 206: Aja of She Said We Shed PodcastWelcome back! We are still in-between seasons on #fofcpod and for the next month we’ll be sharing with our hosts from Raising Free People Network! This week we chat with Aja, single mom, freelancer/entrepreneur and unschooler who has lived outside of the United States - host of She Said We Shed Podcast.“Created by Aja, and produced by Raising Free People Network, She Said We Shed is a reclamation project for defining a motherhood that acknowledges and helps us heal from the unresolved trauma-induced parenting practices among Black mothers. Aja is raising her Black son whil...2021-02-1036 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 205 - Woke AF Parenting 101We are still in-between seasons on #fofcpod, so Akilah picked another amazing replay full of liberation talk and mad question askin’ -- episode 40 from season 2!Special guest Yolonda Coles Jones, founder of Empowered Journey Company, creator of the Empowered People trademarked formula as applied within her Empowered Me/Us, Empowered Families and Empowered Teachers Programs & within her Empowered People Deliberate Love School. She is talking about her experience with her partner on raising four free people, two daughters and twin sons.Akilah will al...2021-01-271h 19
Fare of the Free ChildEp 204: (REPLAY) Solutions to Whitewashed SDE. From Season 2, Ep 31 with Anthony Galloway, Jr. and Julia CorderoWe are in another in-between episode on #fofcpod, this time replaying episode 31 from season 2! On this reboot Anthony Galloway Jr, one of our Presence Counselors here on Raising Free People Network who also happens to be debuting with his first podcast series right here on #fofcpod, is joining us along with Julia Cordero, co-founder of Hearthwood Agile Learning Center, in an insightful conversation on Whitewashed Self-Directed Education. Let’s get into this replay!LIBERATION WALKDeveloping a disruptor’s ear, a workbook for learning how to listen (despite schoolishness and pervasive whiteness) and what to d...2021-01-201h 13
Fare of the Free ChildEp 203 - Self-mothering + ParentingWelcome to another in-between episode on #fofcpod! This time we are sharing with Trelani Michelle, who we’ve already heard on episode 4 on Black Queer Mothering, episode 14 with Self-Mothering While Parenting and most recently on episode 197: A Deschooling Word About Boundaries, Babies and Business talking about parenting practices, dating life and all about her project Krak Teet: A Catalog of Savannah’s Black-in-the-Day (biographies that centers the life experiences of native Gullah Geechee elders from 1920 on through to 1970). Don’t miss this replay! LIBERATION WALKDon’t miss The Parenting Decolonize...2021-01-1337 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 202: New to Unschooling (Reboot Edition) Mo Allison (from Season 1) updates on single mamahood, chronic illness, and life designWe’re in between seasons on #fofcpod, and as we promised, January will be filled with specially-chosen replays sprinkled with some new-new announcements and invitations.This time we bring you an update from Monique Allison who we’ve already heard from on episode 6 back on Season 1. Listen to Monique giving us some insight on She Said We Shed PodcastMonique talks about what she’s been learning through her deschooling journey with her son, Pharaoh, particularly how she’s becoming a better observer, and learning more about adaptability, flexibility, and trust.Monique is a single...2021-01-071h 00
Fare of the Free ChildEp 201: Peace Signs to 2020 and Season 5 Talmbout love notes, side-eyes, gratitude, and need-to knows with AkilahWelcome to the fifth season finale of Fare of the Free Child Podcast where Akilah gives a State of the Podcast (and network!). She shares resources and invitations focused on the opportunities for rest and reparations and for the deepening of this movement. Thank you all for listening and supporting, this conversation is centered on some of the healing that we've done, the healing that we are looking to do in collaboration with others and the opportunities to invest in that healing work at variant levels.Keep on sharing, shedding and questioning. In January we will be...2020-12-3023 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 200: Being Busy, Black, and Unschooled in 2020 An end-of-year sistachat with Maleka Diggs of Eclectic Learning NetworkThis week on #fofcpod, Maleka Diggs from Eclectic Network and Akilah are chopping it all up about this year. Get ready for an insightful conversation about what they’ve been noticing around deschooling, self care, pervasive whiteness, movement, decolonizing, and then some.WHAT WE DISCUSSSelf care practicesMaleka shares aspects of her decolonizing journey, the harmony between working and playing and defining priorities around self care practices. Akilah talks about deschooling her leadership practices.They also talk about the power of stillness and silence, how necessary it...2020-12-2454 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 199: Tiny but Mighty Steps Towards Wellness Kim Hester of Life, Strength, and Health on Wellness as an Unschooling EntrepreneurThis week on #fofcpod we are talking about prioritizing wellness amidst entrepreneurship and unschooling with one of our #fofcpod repeat guests, Kim Hester (with the big, beautiful smile!). Kim is co-owner of Life Strength & Health holistic center, and she co-hosts Akilah’s favorite wellness podcast too! In episode 195: Black Unschooling Dads, Kris Richards (Akilah's partner) and Jamal Hester (Kim's partner) had the chance to chat about Black fatherhood and unschooling. In this episode Akilah talks with Kim about the importance of awareness as part of a wellness process, and how all of that is connected to natural learning, deschooling an...2020-12-1636 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 198: Painful Truths and Opportunities for Change from the Perspectives of “The Token” Crystal Byrd Farmer's new book + a gratitude sessionThis week on #fofcpod we have an insightful conversation about relationships and diversity with educator, organizer and speaker Crystal Byrd Farmer, she focuses on cohousing, Black, and polyamorous communities. Crystal is a Black, queer, autistic woman whose opinions and ambitions find her in a variety of communities where she is the only one with a particular intersection of identities. This “token” status is one Crystal does not shy away from, but instead uses it to speak up and invite change in the communities she chooses.Crystal shares some of her experiences, and tells us about her book, The...2020-12-0930 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 197: A Deschooling Word About Boundaries, Babies, and Business Trelani Michelle (of Krak Teet) on dating, parenting, and professional pursuitsThis week on #fofcpod, we're talking about boundaries - ways to affirm them, and ways to honor the development of boundaries as they show up, shift us, and determine so many elements of how we show up in our bodies and in our relationships. Listen in as Trelani Michelle, our modern-day Zora Neale Hurston, offers some sweet and insightful storytelling about the recognition and re-affirming of her boundaries in her work, her parenting practice, and in her dating life. Trelani also shares the origins of her celebrated project, Krak Teet: A Catalog of Savannah’s Black-in-the-Day Biographies that centers th...2020-12-0336 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 196: But, Yo, the Trust Comes AFTER the Choice Spiritual self-care, mobile (freedom) libraries, and drum circles with Natalie “Black WorldSchoolers” PipkinReframing Trust and ProofProof and trust have become very schoolish. The way I see it, trust is often a thing to choose, not a thing to be earned. In deschooling, the proof of trustworthiness often comes after the decision to trust a process. There’s no need for proof, the proof is part of a bond of trust we build up in our daily lives, it's about the people, the processes, and the way we forge our relationships--trust emerges from that.- Akilah #raisingfreepeopleWe've got a birthday episode on de...2020-11-2656 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 195: Black Unschooling Dads Jamal and Kris discuss the tools they gather while raising free peopleToday we’ll be joined by two unschooling dads, Jamal Hester and Kris Richards. They will be pointing out some insights on Black fatherhood, re-parenting and unschooling! Jamal is the co-owner of Life Strength & Health holistic center. They also have a podcast where we can find great resources on healing work. Kris Richards is a graphic designer, artist, and creative brander. He’s also Akilah’s partner and Marley and Sage’s dad.What We Discussed:Colonial NarrativeJamal and Kris talk about how their labels of “who they ar...2020-11-1938 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 193: Developing a Self-directed Mindset Marley Richards on the Emotions and Logistics in Self-directed Teen LifeOn this week’s episode you will be privy to an intergenerational conversation between mother and daughter, as our special guest is Marley @mrlamai, unschooler and SDE advocate.Marley and Akilah talk about some of the ways that the skills that come with self-directedness are translatable in our current context of being at home, as we figure out how to pivot away from scholishness. Marley talks about some of the experiences and differences that she had with friends that have been raised with a conventional schooling mindset in comparison to her unschooling peers.WHAT WE...2020-11-0440 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 191: Why & How We Unschool Tiersa McQueen on the Importance of the FREE Part in Raising Free PeopleEpisode 191 is all about the deeper work after we accept self-directedness, and get into the layers of transitions, consent, emergent structure, children and trust.We'll be chatting with Tiersa McQueen, and SDE advocate, wife and working mom of 4 children (including twins), who is serious on how to develop new tools for liberation-centered relationships. We’ll be making mad question’ askin on power, boundaries and decolonization. “I tweet for the Black married moms who homeschool. We outchea. Unschooler. Gentle parenting.” - Tiersa McQueenWHAT WE DISCUSSDigital community and liberatio...2020-10-2154 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 190: Nomad(ing) in Place with Ieishah ‘Nem on travel, observing our daughters, and redefining powerThis week on Fare Of The Free Child Podcast we’ll have a mix of resources and liberation talk!Ieishah Clelland-Lange, writer, nomad and mother of Freeda (7 years old) and Toni (4 years old), will be talking with us about how to redefine power in our parent-child relationships. Thea @theamonyee of Shaping the Shift Podcast talks to us about The Blacker the Brain, the Free Joy Experience, and more opportunities to decolonize, reimagine, and heal. And we close out with a reminder to come see and share with us at RaisingFreePeople.com/book.WHAT WE DISCUSS2020-10-1439 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 189: Let’s Talk About Colonized Unschooling Kris Richards & Moji Yai on decolonization in parenting and societyAnother Mad Question Askin’ episode! Episode 189 addresses this question from our Make-it-Happen family:“Hi Akilah and community! Episode 182 with Genesis Ripley (Partnering with Our Pain) was so amazing! I need to listen again so I can absorb all the thought provoking things you both brought up. Akilah, you and Genesis mentioned Colonized Unschooling. I had this idea that if you do Unschooling with your family, especially Radical Unschooling you are automatically on the path to Decolonization. I definitely don’t want to do Colonized Unschooling! What does that mean? I think you and Genesis said something about how Co...2020-10-0740 min
Fare of the Free ChildEP 188: Abuse Prevention & Consent Culture with Rosalia Rivera of Consent ParentingToday’s episode features consent educator, sexual literacy advocate, speaker, founder of Consent Parenting, host of the About Consent Podcast and change agent, Rosalia Rivera. Rosalia works with parents who are survivors of sexual abuse to help them learn and teach proper abuse prevention and consent to their children.“I'm a mom of 3 little lovely consent-empowered humans between the ages of 4 and 8. It wasn't always like this. They didn't know about consent, boundaries or body safety. They were little chicks and I was the hen that hid them under my wings. I'm proud of how far they've come a...2020-09-3039 min
Fare of the Free ChildEP 187: Ways Capitalism Invites Indoctrination Transactions vs Relationships with Kris and RomainHere is Part 2 of an insightful, intergenerational conversation between Kris @iandidea and Romain (Rom) @pharo___ on the topic of capitalism and community. Both are college graduates with Marketing degrees, so their perspectives on capitalism in particular are nuanced as they work both as people affected by and carrying out some of the notions of capitalism. And they are not alone, as it is virtually impossible to untether from capitalism altogether. Still, we can critique it and we can imagine and build and practice beyond it, and this part of the conversation wants to usher in that type of energy.2020-09-2357 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 186: Deschooling Corporate and Community Relationships Kris & Romain discuss the effects of capitalism on a social justice mindsetWelcome to another episode of Fare Of The Free Child Podcast. This week, our intention is to expand our understandings of deschooling and self-directedness beyond children and education. So, let’s listen to Part 1 of a conversation between a 20-something freelance marketing and social media consultant and a 40-something year old creative branding entrepreneur about discerning between capitalism and community.What Kris Richards and Roman Sinclair began to explore in this conversation is that if we go deep and question further, we can begin the level of liberation and healing to redefine and revitalize our relationship dynamics acr...2020-09-1639 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 185: Parenting Paradigm Shifts in Black Families Domari talks about positive and purposeful parentingToday’s episode is a deschooling conversation with the amazing Domari Dickinson. Domari chats with Akilah about how she became more aware of what it took for her to begin, moving away from a controlling approach and towards more positive and purposeful parenting.WHAT WE DISCUSSDomari speaks from her own experience as a Black woman on how the resources and theory about homeschooling lacked diversity. She didn’t see herself or her family represented, in homeschooling communities online and in books and podcasts. Domari homeschooled her children for two years before sending them to publ...2020-09-0936 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 184: Are You Qualified to Support Black Folks Though? Shawna Murray-Browne on decolonizing therapy as liberation workToday's episode features Shawna Murray-Browne, a community healer and the founder of Kindred Community Healing, licensed clinical social worker. Akilah and Shawna go deep and talk about the skill sets that allow a professional to see the whole person and how the quality of care is not taking into account the whole spectrum, the collective experience, because true healing happens in community. They also talk about collective trauma and what liberation looks like when we decolonize practices that have been rooted from a settler-colonial framework.Shawna points out the importance of relationship skills and collective healing by...2020-09-0254 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 183: Choosing Learning Over Schooling. Dommie talks about listening to her children and discovering real learningToday's episode is full of liberation and healing talk with life learner Dominique of DommiesBlessed. She shares some insights on natural learning, which we’re hoping will usher in changes around learning and relationship-building. Check out Dommie’s blog on natural learning.WHAT WE DISCUSSBefore we talk to Dommie, Akilah gives a shout out to entrepreneurs, Kim and Jamal Hester, creators and developers of Life Strength & Health holistic center. Listen to their podcast for more healing work!Also, as we are raising free people and nurturing self-care habits, check out the latest epis...2020-08-2638 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 182: Genesis Ripley on Partnering with Our Pain. Modern Shadow Work in Conscious ParentingEpisode 182 is a mix of communal spaces, tools, resources and of course liberation talk. Genesis Ripley will be joining us to chat about shadow work and the importance of being more aware of our unconscious as we are moving into a more self-directed way of being. Genesis is an LA-based mother, natural learning advocate, decolonizer by design and unschooler momma. We’ll also be sharing some great resources and invitations to continue through this healing and self awareness process, and you’ll hear from Kelly Limes-Taylor and Chemay Morales-James about ways to do that work.WHAT...2020-08-1951 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 181: Defining Liberation & Keeping It Intact.Welcome back, homies (and new homies, too)! Y’all ready for season 5? In today’s episode Akilah shares ideas and invitations for what’s to come in the new season of Fare Of The Free Child.WHAT WE DISCUSSAkilah talks about deschooling and unschooling, not as something we learn from a curriculum nor a thing we perform, but as a way of being. It’s through the experiences and different points of view that we get to understand the otherness, question our own truths as part of a liberation work, and work at understanding more tha...2020-08-1231 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 180: Partnership Practice with Plants Indoor Plant Tips from Plant It Up PodcastWe are so ready for some indoor plant tips from Plant It Up Podcast. As a close-out for the fourth season we decided to do one more episode with @valandourplants - you’re welcome :) And remember, Akilah will be back on August 12th with Season 5! In the meantime, listen as Val (Akilah’s resident plant lady who also happens to be her Mama!) talks about the importance of having plants at home and shares some of her favorites, along with the many benefits of each one. There’s a special appearance by Marley Richards too, ‘cause we ‘bout that intergener...2020-07-2910 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 179: Season 5 Appetizers with Kris & Akilah. Celebrating 4 years by resting... and recordingWelcome to the fourth season finale of Fare of the Free Child! Today’s episode features Kris Richards, he and Akilah will be talking about some upcoming surprises and topics for the fifth season.We also shout out the members of our Make It Happen Family; thank you all for your comments and support! Akilah just saw more than a hundred comments on her Youtube Channel, particularly from the How Good Morning America Got Unschooling Wrong video, some of them from you, dear family! Thanks for that, and be sure to subscribe for more information and conversations abo...2020-07-2232 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 178: From Schoolish to Self-directed. Transitioning away from colonized life skillsWe are so hyped about today's episode because the day of publishing, July 10th, marks our zeroversary, the 4-year anniversary of Episode 0! It's been quite a journey since Akilah started Fare of the Free Child podcast back in the summer of 2016. Even though it started from a painful place, we feel so very thankful to the community that has come from this podcast—our listeners and members of our Make it Happen Family—for the support and love through all these years. Here you can listen to Episode 0, Welcome and Why This Show, where it all began. Today, in the...2020-07-101h 12
Fare of the Free ChildEp 177: Control Issues & Learning to Let GoEpisode 177 features podcaster Howard Cosmonaut Palmer. His podcast explores inner universes through mindful guided meditation. Today Cosmo gives us some tools to center both harmony and joy, important aspects of our liberation work. Find his podcast: Only Black CosmonautWHAT WE DISCUSSOur lives are under a constant saturation of feelings and thoughts as a result of a subconscious conditioning from a schollish framework and due to the exhaustion in our daily context. Cosmo talks about learning how to be in control has been...2020-07-0126 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 176: ‘Cause Ginger Root Brings Her JoyLast episode Akilah talked about the importance of our capacity of resistance and the relevance of trusting our dynamic selves in order to find balance to center our joy. Today’s episode is about Black Joy, and how happiness can be understood as a way of liberation and activism. Can joy be a radical way of resistance?WHAT WE DISCUSSMarley, Akilah’s daughter, shares some thoughts on Black Joy and how she perceives happiness as a way of resistance. The way Black people live their lives doesn’t have to be a constan...2020-06-2425 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 175: Resources for the Real FeelsWays we’re sharing our feelings and experiencesLast week we took a pause in our Deschooling Release Party to address everything that was happening with the protests and related feelings. That same week another life, that of Rayshard Brooks, was taken by violent police officers. It feels necessary to take some space and talk about it, and we’re gonna take however long we feel is needed. As we talked about in the last episode, these disruptive times make us more reflective, but also can fill us with emotions that can turn/become overwhelming. In order to p...2020-06-1731 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 174: Not That Kind of Tired. These Racist Patterns Ain’t Pullin’ Me DownIn today's episode we are making a pause from our Deschooling Release Party Vol. 2. Akilah addresses anti-blackness and its consequences. These disruptive times are making us more aware and reflective, and we have so many reminders and invitations to be more present.WHAT WE DISCUSSIn the summer of 2016 Akilah was starting Fare Of The Free Child, a podcast with the purpose of amplifying the underrepresented voices and unique concerns of Black people and other people of color, looking for viable alternatives to oppressive systems, ways to practice more self-directed ways. This was also a...2020-06-1024 min
Fare of the Free ChildEP:173 - To Pause or To Pivot? Danii Oliver on the power of intuitive pauseMessage from Akilah“I felt compelled to bring the sounds of my current city into this episode. I literally missed my deadline to submit the raw audio, because Spirit said Don’t record that intro in the corner of your closet, Sis. Instead, open your window, let the city sound off while you try to speak to some of what you’re feeling. I obeyed. And later that evening, the voices and emotions of the people of Atlanta sounded off too, in the form of peaceful protest. I was able to see some of it from our apartm...2020-06-0359 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 172: Raider As Ritual. Melinda Alexander on mothers, sons & sovereigntyWelcome to the fourth Deschooling Release Party (DRP) session, a celebration of our commitment to unlearning oppression in our relationships with children and Self. Volume I was about self-care and this one (Volume II) is about pivoting from fear and panic over into what we're being guided to do. Melinda Alexander will be joining us to talk about the role in ritual in her mothering. More recently, she and her son Raider, started transitioning from schoolishness to unschooling.“If you travel down a long ass road and find the intersection— of art, feminism, fashion, Buddhism, socia...2020-05-2759 min
Fare of the Free ChildEP 171: Black Child, You Are SeenIf you enjoy this podcast, this is your kind of reading! Pre-order Akilah’s book, Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work!We are back with our Deschooling Release Party sessions, Volume II. In today’s episode Akilah talks with Natalie Pipkin, founder of Black World Schoolers and Pulse Project Indy, a drumming community that promotes social, cultural and emotional development in vulnerable spaces. Her project seeks to disrupt dominant oppressive narratives, providing an environment of psychological empowerment through cultural awareness.WHAT WE DISCUSS:2020-05-2046 min
Fare of the Free ChildEP 170: Audio Liberation IntroductionsWe’re interrupting our Deschooling Release Party flow to focus on the energy of Mother’s Day. In this episode, Akilah and Aja will talk about the four mothers whose new are coming to join Fare of the Free Child on Raising Free People Network: Val Sinclair, Katrina Monique, Lou Hollis, and Aja herself.Aja chats with us about her relationship with motherhood and how it can impact our leadership and relationships. Her podcast, She Said, We Shed is a journey of discovery throughout the dynamics of what mothering can mean, and how types of mothering vary dras...2020-05-1045 min
Fare of the Free ChildEP 169: The Chance to Go FurtherAt the top of this episode, I share the pre-order status for my book, Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work! If you enjoy this podcast, this is your kinda reading party right here. Pre-order your copy today.In this second deschooling release party session, we will be sharing thoughts with college professor and unschooler mother of five, Kelly Limes Taylor about the effects of our current times on all institutions, schooling and leadership issues being among the plights that we are urgently being called, as a society to face.Kelly invites us...2020-05-0633 minFare of the Free ChildEP 167: They Said Schoolish Unschooling!This episode was supposed to be the first of the Deschooling Release Party, Volume II. However, today’s episode features Marley and Sage, in response to an article from Good Morning America, and how their unschooling coverage got it all wrong.Earlier this month, the ABC Television produced a show and published a blog post about unschooling titled “I tried unschooling and here’s what happened.” I am cited in that article, and talked with the person that wrote this; I just didn’t know that it was for her to try out unschooling. In short, th...2020-04-2133 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 159: A (Black) History of KnowingAkilah Richards: hosts this widely celebrated podcast, Fare of the Free Child, that features more than 150 episodes on Self-Directed Education among Black, Non-Black Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. She is the author of the forthcoming book Raising Free People, and she and her partner are raising two self-directed daughters.What Was Discussed:Last week’s episode is also inclusive of Black history when we discussed how Maleka and her daughter, Maddy, recognised how they were being treated and how they were able to connect to the unfortunate familiarity of all the “isms...2020-02-1914 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 155: What Are School Wounds?In episode 154, Sage, a 13-year-old unschooler, talked about her frustration with the ways that there is this allegedly measurable, observable boxed in idea of how learning happens that is prioritized over an individual person’s process for understanding how they learn, pursuing their interests, and creating their own courses of study, and their own schedules and to a large extent, without the pressure of needing to turn into a job or something quantifiable to someone outside of themselves. This is something Sage noticed from being in a lot of different SDE learning centers and homeschooling and unschooling centered communities an...2020-01-2316 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 151: Conscious Parenting with Adult ChildrenVal Anderson is in her sixties, yet she is practicing conscious parenting. Turns out that connection, respect, listening, and regard for boundaries are not just for toddlers and their doting parents. Parents who have raised their children into adults and are now developing language and norms that see that person as an adult, and not a perpetual child. In this episode, Val, who happens to be Akilah’s mother, is sharing some of her practices for being more present, more connected, and less tied to the oppressive adult-child dynamics she saw all around her. Listen close and share wide as...2019-12-2427 min
Fare of the Free ChildEP. 138: On Black Fatherhood and Freedom“The most difficult thing in dealing with [raising ] young girls is that you have to come to grips with how you deal with women. You have to address your beliefs, what you’ve been taught, and what you’ve seen in society. If you’re not trying to be a dominating or oppressive figure in their life, you have to consider these things.” - Kris RichardsThis week, Kris talks about his raising free people practice. This is part two, because last week’s episode with Marley talking about her experiences with my and Kris’s practice. Marley talked a...2019-09-2624 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp. 137: Being Our Authentic Selves, TogetherThis week Marley Richards is joining me to talk about the goodness and the grit of being in a mother-daughter relationship rooted in liberation. She is co-facilitating Raising Free People Workshop with me this year, and on this episode, we’ll share some details about the space we intend to hold. Raising Free People Workshop is a space for us to apply decolonization and deschooling to the way we raise and relate to children. And into the way we support children in owning themselves.This workshop, and this practice, helps adults focus on transitioning from master to partner; embracing co...2019-09-1927 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 133: The Value of Hindsight & Shared IntentionKris & Akilah’s idea for sharing gems from live workshops Molasses is slow and steady, full of rich useful properties that take time to come through. I'm taking time to process the experiences I host or co-facilitate at this year's Homeschooling Assn of California Conference (HSC), then I'll recap and deep-dive my live workshops to bring you Molasses Sessions. Whether you were in the room or not, gain insights and perspectives that didn't make it to the live session. Fill out the form below to buy these downloads as soon as they are produced.2019-08-1619 min
Fare of the Free ChildEP 127: Calling In (not Calling Out): Equity in SDEMaleka Diggs and Akilah S. Richards talk about the issues with inequitable SDE spaces in terms of race/culture.They invite you to sign up for the live, virtual training on this topic: https://radicalselfie.teachable.com/p/equityinsdeTaking this training will support your exploration and understanding of:The characteristics of pervasive whiteness and schoolish tactics in intended self-directed environments, including SDE centers, homeschooling and/or unschooling co-ops, and at home How those characteristics inform the content, the structure, the relationships, and often, the lack of su...2019-07-0342 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp. 126: Recap of Rooted Us NYC Unconference On Anti-racism, Anti-oppression, and Self-Directed EducationIn episode 126 we’re sharing snippets from some of the conversations from Rooted Us NYC, a free unconference focusing on the practical application of anti-oppressive community building. You’ll hear from attendees who were wondering about things like parent education (deschooling), social justice as part of Self-Directed Education, how to raise free people when we (adults) don’t feel free, cooperative economics, and more. Listen in to hear sessions that were each facilitated by Akilah (Raising Free People Workshop), Dr. Sundiata (Cooperative Economics), and Maleka Diggs (Strewing: Confronting Your Fears).#BIPOCinSDESupport the showD...2019-06-2839 min
Fare of the Free ChildEp 125: 4 Conditions in Support of Raising Free PeopleWhat can a home environment look like when the adults practice raising free people? This is the question of longtime member of the FOFC community, Chemay Morales-James. She founded the organization My Reflection Matters, a movement to provide personal and educational resources for young Black and Brown people to think critically about themselves and feel empowered to combat racial injustices wherever they are. She asked Akilah to speak to the home environmental conditions that are likely to nurture and support the development of free people, so Akilah does just that, talking about healthy ways to set boundaries, hold accountability...2019-06-2016 min