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OUR STORY
“When children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part.”
-Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop
In 2018, we made the collective decision to transition from conventional schooling to home education. That was also when we became Black Worldschoolers.
For us, worldschooling was less about where we traveled and more about positively shaping how our sons saw themselves in the world. We did that through travel, new experiences, and books.
Excited and determined, we began searching for resources reflecting the African Diaspora and building our home library. As our collection of Black stories, primarily by Black authors across all genres, grew, so did our sons' love for reading. They became flashlight-under-the-covers readers, eagerly devouring books late into the night.
Before, they read out of obligation in school or kept up with the popular titles their peers were reading. Having access to stories that affirmed their identities transformed them into joyful, engaged readers. My sons inspired me to imagine what could be possible if more children had access to these stories.
During the global pandemic, we began finding ways to share that experience beyond our home. We created a free, 24-hour Storytime Hotline that made Black stories just a phone call away. We also donated books to a local teen program.
I'll never forget their excitement when the books arrived. They were discovering titles they had never seen before, characters with familiar names, and images that reflected them. Their response reinforced something I had already seen with my own sons: young people do read. They get excited about books when they find books they actually want to read.
Those experiences pushed us toward a bigger vision.
In December 2020, Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore launched online with the ultimate goal of creating a bookstore on wheels. In June 2022, that dream hit the road.
Our mobile bookstore was born from a desire to make Black stories more accessible and the way people encounter them irresistible. But the need for these books isn't new. The lack of culturally relevant literature was not only our children's reality. It was mine growing up, my mother's, my grandmother's, and the reality of generations before us.
While we don't believe everyone has to homeschool or worldschool to have these experiences, we do believe in the power of building home libraries and intentionally sharing Black stories within our families and communities.
What began as a way of learning and living in our own home has grown far beyond it. Today, Black Worldschoolers reaches people nationwide through books and curated services, while our one-of-a-kind mobile bookstore brings an unforgettable literary experience to communities across the Midwest.
We’re grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey, from those who were with us before the bus to the customers, partners, and organizations who continue to value what we’ve created. Because of you, communities across the Midwest get to experience the magic of our bookstore on wheels and, most importantly, the stories inside.
Thank you for being part of our story.