August 18, 2017: I am re-posting my conversations with Michelle S. Hite, friend and Assistant Professor in the English Department at Spelman College, from 2015. It is back-to-school season and the topics we discussed are just as relevant, in fact they are timeless. This is the first of a three-part discussion.

I met a mother in the comments section of a post I wrote for The New York Times Motherlode blog this past February. Isn’t that how we meet people now?

Her comments were aligned with my own but more than that they were knowledgeable, challenging and potent. I wanted to know what informed her ideals and beliefs. After some searching online I found her email. Fortunately for me, Michelle didn’t think: Stalker. But, instead she thought: Kindred spirit.

Two weeks ago Michelle introduced me to the notion of oppositional consciousness in parenting. I was intrigued primarily because it challenged my ideas about educating and advocacy. We decided to discuss this more through the timely topic of: Back-to-school. This is a three-part conversation I will be posting throughout the week. Continue reading →