Time was that "diversity" in the home-school movement referred to the handful of hippies that showed up at meetings and protests along with throngs of white Christian fundamentalists. No more, says Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute. "There's an obvious ... change," he tells the Baltimore Sun. "In some local...conferences, the majority...is African-American or Hispanic." Jennifer James, founder of the National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance in North Carolina, says black parents are tired of watching their children struggle academically. Frustrated by the dearth of quality public school options, many have vowed to do a better job themselves. Perhaps homeschooling's widening appeal will serve as a wake-up call to shoddy public schools: Offer a quality education, or your students will vote with their feet. (And not just those wearing Birkenstocks.)
"Home schooling draws more blacks," by Rona Marech, Baltimore Sun, January 23, 2006