“Coming Together Educationally Creates a Bond Like No Other”: Exploring How Families Engage in Black History Home Learning

Black home learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic may have played a significant role in children’s learning. We piloted Brilliant Joy in a Box, caregiver-child Black history home learning boxes, with a sample of 100 families in a predominantly Black, midwestern city. Families received boxes for six months and completed whole family activities during virtual “unboxings.” In the current study, we explored caregivers’ (n = 57) open-ended responses to a mid-program survey about their experiences utilizing the boxes. Eighty eight percent of families endorsed using the family activity sheets (n = 51) and eighty four percent endorsed that they read and received the text messages (n = 49). Using the rapid and rigorous qualitative data analysis technique, we found three main themes: (a) eliciting children’s joy, (b) cultivating Black history home learning, and (c) promoting family cohesion. The Brilliant Joy in a Box project seemed to positively contribute to family joy, serve as a catalyst for celebrating Black history, and provide an opportunity for families to continue or increase their role in their children’s learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.