Have you ever wondered how grief and loss might pave a pathway toward spiritual growth? In this penultimate episode of Fare of the Free Child podcast, I share with you the fourth path in my care package to this community. Sharing Season 9 reflections, Chemay Morales-James, Vanessa Molano, Jasai Madden, Stori, and I bring to life our experiences in this liberation walk. Engaging in a candid exploration of spirituality, manifestation, magic, and money, we unravel the ways it has shaped our lives. We also dive into our origin stories and the leveling up it has brought us to.Taking a step further, we tackle the often overlooked issue of pervasive whiteness ingrained in ourselves, our communities, and our learning or workspaces. Drawing from the wisdom condensed in the Developing a Disruptor's Ear workbook, we unearth the impacts of whiteness on various aspects of education and society. Pervasive Whiteness, as we articulate, "Is when a white person either unconsciously or deliberately asserts unsolicited opinions and ideas using their voice, bodies or a particular approach or mindset - like NVC- in ways that are dismissive of the voices, bodies, and experiences of those outside their 'in-group' or culture.""Pervasive Whiteness is an embodiment of harmful structures deeply rooted in modernity and coloniality, transcending beyond white bodies." It's a significant thread that weaves through our conversation as we  share notes from pages 15 to 27 of the workbook.In the final segment of our discussion, we challenge the traditional norms and tactics underpinned by pervasive whiteness. We delve into the intricate ways whiteness weaponizes communication and highlight the schoolishness that unknowingly seep into our daily lives. As we wrap up, with our FINAL episode next week, I extend an invitation for you to continue this enlightening journey by accessing the five pathways I have gifted you on this departure. The five care packages. Audio-based how-to guides for navigating all this info I’ve put out over the past seven years:

• A beginner’s path (Kids in school, but this feels like it addresses what’s been inside you without detailed language; this speaks your language, but not your current situation)
• A  homeschool to more confident autonomy centric practices path (unschooling without the label) - how it was for us in years 3 and 4
• A “for me, not them” path for folks whose kids have no interest in leaving school, but parents want to be less schoolish and more direct in facilitating confident autonomy while their kids are in school
• A "my whiteness-centric work-life" path for folks who want to face their power-over-us mindset through unschooling practices
• A "been unschooling, ready to deepen my shit" path for folks who want to get all up in the spiritual aspects of this work

I remain deeply grateful for your unwavering support and eage

Dig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:reflection-matters.mn.co/">https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

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 between food, play, and mindfulness, followed by Tony's reflections on finance, politics, masculinity, mental health, and unschooling, and Amelia gave us a unique perspective on Montessori education for Black folks. We also showed love to other guests like Iris Chen, Karema Akilah, Ieishah Clelland-Lang, and Season 8's co-host, Domari Dickinson, who joined us in offering the P.A.U.S.E. framework and its transformative role in self-reflection and personal development. This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for all, dig in!Episode links:Yolanda Coles JonesLeslie W BrayVanessa MolanoRaising Free People bookKaren M RicksAmelia Sherwood and Sankofa Learning CentreIris Chen and UntigeringKarema Akilah and The Genius SchoolAnthony GallowayFare of the Free Man Child series: Ep 232, 233, 234 Ieishah Clelland-LangMaori Mother Wisdom series: Ep 237,238,239,240P.A.U.S.E series and Domari DickinsonTebogo Modisane and Ha se Lehola

Dig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:reflection-matters.mn.co/">https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

Moving away from school-centric culture and the performances we got going on is a very real thing that one listener voiced and we're sharing it here in this episode. We're diving deep into this topic, addressing the importance of honoring our children's confident autonomy and moving away from the ingrained schoolishness we perform at home. We're exploring this through one listener's transformative story, lessons from my personal parenting journey, and the integrated perspectives that Savorism has allowed.Embrace this journey with us as we navigate the shift from school at home to more liberated and nurturing approaches. We recap Season 4 and 5 in this episode and highlight the overarching themes. This episode is a fusion of personal narratives, listener insights, and practical pieces of advice tailored for anyone managing the beautiful task of raising free people.Let's rethink education, nurture relationships, and foster liberation, while savoring the spaciousness it allows.Some links:Our family of podcasts all in one place: RFPNPleasure Series: Ep 112, 113, 114, 115, 116Racial Equity in SDE: Ep 125Chevanni Davids: Ep 146Black, Queer Feminism: Ep 109

Dig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:reflection-matters.mn.co/">https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

A 6-minute offering for the beginner’s path.Start a journey of discovery, trusting that learning comes from various sources - many of which can't be measured on a conventional scale. May this bonus 6-minute offering on Fare of the Free Child serve you well! Be sure to listen to Episode 265 for more on the starter/beginner path too!We're throwing some critical questions in the mix with some MQA, inviting you to question the rules and agreements we've held ourselves and our children to. As we navigate the path of unschooling, we'll explore the profound impact of trusting the autonomy of children, and of avoiding performance and external validation in favor of self-inquiry and self-knowledge. This is your ticket to embark on a journey of trust and discovery.  Join us again in the next episode for more tools to walk the talk in this work of raising free people.

Dig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:reflection-matters.mn.co/">https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

If you've been searching and asking about some of the most innovative minds in the realm of unschooling, youth rights, and liberation, names like Zakkiyya Chase, Moji Yai, Lane Santa Cruz, and Dr. Sundiata should ring a bell. Some of our most listened-to early dialogues included ones with Ieishah Clelland-Lang and Lou Wilkerson. We detangled topics like Black maternal mortality rates, intuition, trust, and deschooling. Their insights set the stage for seasons two and three of Fare of the Free Child podcast, and Akilah is giving them their flowers today!  As we revisit these transformative dialogues, we dive into the heart of raising free people, where we're amplifying our stories and deepening our connections to love and liberation. You'll also get perspectives and madd question-askin' around how to start unschooling. Questions that double as mantras is the offering here, and we truly hope you find these useful!THE LINKS.

Moji Yai of Wise African Woman Retreats. Host of THE Birth Education Retreat where participants immerse in village healing culture.

https://www.instagram.com/wawretreat/

Tucson Ward 1 Council Member

https://www.instagram.com/lanewar

Dr. Sundiata of The Theory of Indivisibility

https://www.instagram.com/drsundiata/

Genesis Ripley of Mythology of a Dragon Newsletter

https://www.genesisripley.com/

Yolanda Coles Jones

https://bio.site/YolondaColesJones

Lou Hollis

https://linktr.ee/LouHollisTalent

https://www.instagram.com/lhtmproductions/

Miss Lou - Louise Bennett-Coverley louisebennettheritage.com

The Unschooling Entrepreneur’s Guide to Life and Learning The link between unschooling and entrepreneurship | Raising Free (rfpunschool.com)

Veronica Ashley-Reid

https://purposedyoga.com/

https://www.instagram.com/autonomousgrowth/

https://fofc.buzzsprout.com/344681/1193546-ep-41-demilitarizing-myself

Maleka Diggs

https://www.eclecticlearningnetwork.com/

Tia Cunnigham

Ep. 32: Kicking Cancer's Ass While Unschooling (buzzsprout.com)

Dig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:reflection-matters.mn.co/">https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

In 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 to design our days with our natural flow in mind.Also, we send our heartfelt thanks to Megan, our fellow liberationist over at The Unschool Files, for her energizing words and strong commitment to the raising free people movement!Links:Shoutout to Meghan! You can learn more about her podcast, zine and Roam here:https://www.flowcode.com/page/theunschoolfilesOur dope beats are from these beatmakers:https://www.instagram.com/akeemmuzikbeatz/

https://linktr.ee/Richeflex

https://www.instagram.com/sehratonin/Other links:

https://youtu.be/PoMTrwRkZmk

http://mybrownbaby.com/2012/03/harmony-the-sustainable-alternative-to-worklife-balance/

https://savorcomplex.substack.com/

https://schoolishness.com/coaching/

https://schoolishness.com/savorade-coaching/

Dig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:reflection-matters.mn.co/">https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

Ever wondered how unschooling and liberation work intersect? Join us for a nostalgic trip down memory lane as we delve into the first season of Fare of the Free Child podcast. We discuss my personal journey to unschooling and how moving away from a school-centric life connected to liberation work. In this episode, we give a special shout out to Juan Perez, our beloved audio editor! We also celebrate the various topics, conversations, and stories from season one that have left a lasting impact on us as listeners.Discover how resistance can serve as a roadmap to understanding the identity of unschooling and its potential for personal growth. I share my experience with revisiting the personal manifesto path - a transformative course I published in 2014. We discuss the importance of taking full responsibility for our experiences, opening up new portals of exploration in the world of unschooling, liberation, and social justice. Find a cozy spot, tune in, and let's do some Sankofa work. LINKS:For any audio editing, you can reach out to Juan Pablo: juanpablooperez@gmail.com

krak teet: https://www.krakteet.org/

The Life School Atlanta: https://www.thelifeschool.co/

Humanity Communications Collective: https://humanitycom.com/about-our-ceo/

Smell Good Spa: https://smellgoodspa.com/

Heart of Business: https://www.heartofbusiness.com

Dig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:reflection-matters.mn.co/">https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

What happens when we eulogize an elder who has guided us on our journey of unschooling, decolonizing education, and raising free people? Join me in this heartfelt final season as we celebrate the transformative energy of unschooling and the legacy of Self-Directed Education. Together, we'll explore the three containers of explainers, affirmations, and insights that will guide us through this final season, reflecting on the wisdom and experiences we've gained from Fare of the Free Child.As we embark on this extraordinary season of gratitude, growth, and endings, I'll provide you with clear direction for ways to move through this body of work, ensuring that the closure of this podcast is a continuation for you and your journey to be and raise free people. Throughout this season, I'll use three containers: explainers, affirmations, and insights to cover the core themes that we have wrestled with, realized, reclaimed, or released since our very first episode in July of 2016. All season long, you will hear my recommendations for ways to walk alongside this work of raising free people, based on your particular location in this journey, whether you're brand new and just getting into it, or you're in it and it's shifting you all kinds of fast and furious, or you rocking with it, grounded and grooving, I gotchu!So, gather around the elder one last time as we celebrate our collective liberation and the legacy of self-directed education. Let's revel in the power of unschooling, personal leadership, and spiritual growth as we embrace the transformative energy that has brought us to this point.LINKS:The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:reflection-matters.mn.co/">https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

Dig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:reflection-matters.mn.co/">https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

Ahhh….what an accomplishment! Our penultimate season reaches it’s finale… and ya’ll what a season it has been!!

Manifestation, magic, bridges, money as a tool, and the community that is MRM Village! We talk about how networking is actually all about creating community and linking up with folks who are willing to support each other’s missions.

• Chemay talks about her intuition-led path to MRM’s updated business model that centers relationships, not dollars!
• We learn how Chemay and Vanessa concepted their current STAR model in the Village.
• We ear-witness Chemay’s passion for bringing SDE into every part of life and reimagining the work we do in the world.
• We name the real FLOW chart of entrepreneurship: The pivot! Nothing is certain, everything will FLOW as it must and morph into iterations of the idea until it forms into what works best for the people involved

This conversation brings so much to the fore and it’s so important to bring these topics to the table and unpack things like: Intuitive work, embodiment, trusting the unknown, making space for what is to come, anti-hustling, and seeing that work is life and life is work.

As we close, we honor the energy of entrepreneurship, and we commit to the continual deschooling of it as one way of supporting the next generation in shifting the hustle-hard-at-all-cost lens they learned from us. Now, we choose to build a bridge for them to walk out of those old models into ways and modes of being that are more aligned with abundance culture, devoid of shame or guilt around money, and filled with mindful intentional and trust for the process.

Dig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:reflection-matters.mn.co/">https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

What is abundance culture? And what does pausing have to do with sustained abundance? These are some of the questions Vanessa Molano (our resident party animal + book nerd) asks us to explore in this conversation. "I designed a spreadsheet to help you manage your bone$ and circulate that shit." - Vanessa Madd Question Askin' from this convo:

• What are some of the alternative ways we can do what we’re trying to do, without the harm?
• How do you manage money in a way where you measure success by the way your relationships feel?
• How do we practice reparations?
• How do we practice valuing healing as the center of financial management?
• How do we do financial management in a collective way? with foundations for inter-class solidarity.
• How do we practice “small is all”?

Highlights from this convo:7:20 - 7:24 “what’s the point of being alive if you don’t have yourself?” VM25:59 - 26:02 “For unschooling entrepreneurs, financial creativity is really at the heart of self-direction” ASR

30: 48 - 30:51 “authenticity is the most important thing we have” VM

31:08 - 31:17 “if you turn on the abundance lens, you’ll see that there’s a lot more support for the world that we want” - VM

Links from this convo:

• Vanessa Online
• Akilah’s Content Trunk
• Emergent Strategy by adrienne marie brown

Dig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!The Raising Free People Practice Card Deckhttps://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifestoOur Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechildThe Village:reflection-matters.mn.co/">https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/