How do Black parents navigate private school admissions, find the right fit, and make sure their child thrives in a predominantly white institution?

In this episode of Choice Words, the Freedom to Choose Schools podcast, host welcomes Mona Smart — entrepreneur, community advocate, and private school mom — to talk about making intentional school choice decisions for Black children.

Mona shares her personal experience attending boarding school as a Black girl from Alaska, being tokenized at a predominantly white school, and how those experiences shaped her approach to choosing a private school for her son. She breaks down the questions every Black parent should ask before enrolling, how to build relationships with school administration, and why diversity in the classroom is essential preparation for the real world.

Topics covered in this episode:

Private school admissions for Black families

How to advocate for your Black child in a PWI

School choice and Black education

Navigating diversity and inclusion in private schools

The athletic scholarship myth in private school admissions

Black parenting and educational equity

Supporting Black students in predominantly white institutions

Choice Words is the podcast for Black families exploring school choice — from private school and charter schools to school vouchers and education freedom.

🎧 New episodes twice a month. Follow so you never miss one.

In this powerful episode of Choice Words, host Jay Artis-Wright sits down with Dr. Jon Carroll, founder of Jabali Academy, a new school opening in Inglewood, California, built with community, culture, and identity at its core.

Dr. Carroll shares his journey from lifelong educator to school founder—and why he felt called to create a school rooted in opportunity for students who have historically been underserved. Together, they unpack a critical question: What happens when students don’t see themselves reflected in the classroom?

From his groundbreaking research on Black male educators to the stark reality that most teachers don’t reflect the communities they serve, this conversation explores why representation isn’t just important—it’s transformative. As discussed, having even just a few teachers who share a student’s background can significantly increase outcomes like college attendance.

The episode also dives into:

Why culturally connected curriculum drives student success

The importance of building schools within communities—not far outside of them

How access, transportation, and proximity impact real school choice

Why Inglewood is the perfect place for a school like Jabali Academy right now

Dr. Carroll’s vision is clear: schools should be more than buildings—they should be anchors for community, identity, and opportunity.

This is a conversation about what it really means to create space for our children to thrive—academically, culturally, and authentically.

🎧 Tap in and join the movement to #FightToChoose schools that reflect who our children are—and who they’re becoming.

In this episode of Choice Words, host Jay Artis-Wright talks with Elan Page, founder of Homeschool Our Way, about why more families of color are exploring homeschooling.

What began during the COVID pandemic became a powerful shift in how her family approached learning. Elan shares how homeschooling allowed her children to learn at their own pace, dive deeper into subjects, and explore culturally relevant topics that matter to their family.

They also discuss the myths around homeschooling, how working parents can make it work, and why more families are looking at education options beyond the traditional classroom.

🎧 Tune in for a real conversation about homeschooling, school choice, and empowering families to find the best path for their children’s education.

"Connection over curriculum." That is the heartbeat of this week’s conversation with Lizette Valles, a visionary Latina leader, co-founder of the California Micro School Collective, and founder of Ellemercito Micro School. As a first-generation college graduate and a homeschooling, foster, and adoptive mom, Lizette brings a unique, trauma-responsive lens to how we educate Black and Brown students today. She is deconstructing the traditional classroom to build something "natural, joyful, and limitless."

In this episode, we explore:

• The Modern One-Room Schoolhouse: Why small, intentionally personalized environments are the modern solution for diverse learners.
• "Delight-Directed" Learning: Moving away from rigid workbooks toward passion-driven projects that set a student's heart on fire.
• The California Challenge: Navigating a state with no school choice to create "lab schools" that prioritize student flourishing over political volatility.
• Healing Through Education: Why moving from an "authoritarian" teacher mindset to a "guide" mentality is essential for students with academic trauma.
• Courage Over Policy: A bold look at why founders are building the future of education now, rather than waiting for lawmakers to catch up.

If you believe education should be a "love letter" to the next generation, this episode is a must-listen.

In this powerful episode of Choice Words, Jay sits down with Tee Wilson, founder and CEO of B.E. Academy for Girls in Nashville, Tennessee, a culturally responsive, STEAM-based school created to ensure girls are not just surviving school, but thriving in it.

What began as a deeply personal experience with discrimination became a bold vision: a school where identity isn’t managed or minimized, it’s honored.

Together, they unpack:

What “culturally affirming education” really means

Why confidence and academic rigor go hand-in-hand

How identity-centered learning fuels risk-taking and resilience

Why school choice matters for families seeking environments where their children can be fully seen

And how one founder turned generational pain into generational purpose

With enrollment tripling in its first year and a growing waiting list, B.E. Academy for Girls is proof that families are hungry for options that reflect their values, culture, and aspirations.

Because it was never just about hair.

It was always about dignity, belonging, and the freedom to choose a school that loves your child back.

What happens when a 5th grader’s love of learning is stifled—and her parents say enough? Meet Haley Taylor Schlitz, who left traditional school, graduated high school at 13, earned her law degree by 19, and now practices law—all after being denied access to gifted programs because of systemic bias.

In this episode, host Jay Artis-Wright talks with Haley about:

• Why her family chose homeschooling after racial barriers in public school
• How she accelerated her education and stayed socially grounded
• The book she co-authored with her mom: The Homeschool Alternative
• Advice for parents of gifted Black and Brown kids being overlooked

This conversation is a must-hear for every family asking: Is there a better way?

📚 Brought to you by Freedom to Choose Schools, this episode uplifts student-centered school choice, self-determination, and the power of customized learning.

What does it mean to lead with clarity, care, and courage while raising sons, stewarding land, and unschooling Black children in a world that often misunderstands all three?

In this powerful kickoff to Season 2, host Jay Artis-Wright sits down with Dr. Tracey Samone Dumas Clark—educator, consultant, and proud unschooling mom to explore what it looks like to unlearn harmful systems, reconnect with self and nature, and reimagine education for liberation.

From martial arts to micro schools, motherhood to movement-building, Dr. Tracey Samone breaks down how she lives in both practice and philosophy, building a life rooted in Black joy, stewardship, and radical self-determination.

🎧 Tap in for:

What it really means to be an “unschooler”

Why our children need more than standard schools

How Dr. Tracey Samone’s dissertation reframes parent power in education

In this powerful episode of Choice Words, host Jay Artist Wright sits down with Nicole Stewart, founder of the National Association of Black Micro School Leaders (NABML). Together, they pull back the curtain on the "National Crisis" facing Black education and discuss why thousands of families are divesting from traditional systems in favor of something more personal, cultural, and safe.

If you are an educator feeling restricted by rigid curriculums or a parent looking for a "one size fits one" education for your child, this conversation is your roadmap to change.

This week, we sit down with Dr. Patricia Brantley, CEO of Friendship Public Charter Schools in D.C., to discuss what it truly means to lead with freedom and power. Dr. Brantley, who learned the definition of purpose-driven work from civil rights legend Dr. Dorothy Height, shares how she built a Black-led charter network that's redefining excellence for 5,000 scholars.

In this episode, you will hear:

Her powerful answer to critics who call a school of all Black students "segregation": "The model of excellence does not have a color."

The political and financial battles charter leaders face, and her sharp challenge to parents: "Vote at the ballot boxes for your child's education."

How Friendship PCS achieves "multigenerational scale" by having its own graduates return to teach.

Her final word to educators: "You have to lead with heart and spine."

Tune in for an inspiring conversation on putting children first, challenging adult mindsets, and building schools as justice.

Lakisha Young of The Oakland REACH joins Jay Artis-Wright to discuss the evolution of The Oakland REACH. Lakisha shares her journey of moving an organization from simply demanding quality education to actively building it. Together, they explore how The Oakland REACH pivoted during the pandemic to create the "Liberator Model," proving that when parents are upskilled as paid tutors and The Reach Parent District. A look at Lakisha’s new "out of system" solution that combines AI tutoring (Amira Learning) with Family Success Coaching to drive literacy directly in the home.