When Institutions Pull Back, Black Families Must Lean Forward: What Dismantling the Department of Education Actually Means for Your Child

What Does “Dismantling the Department of Education” Actually Mean for Your Child?

Across the country, families are hearing troubling news: the federal government has begun laying early groundwork toward dismantling parts of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). While the headlines may seem distant, the impact on our children, especially Black children is very real.

This shift isn’t just political. It is generational.
And it demands that Black families step into a new era of educational ownership.

What the “Dismantling” Means — in Plain Language

The DOE currently protects students by:

• Overseeing federal funding

• Protecting civil rights

• Ensuring equal access

• Supporting families with special needs

• Providing national curriculum guidelines

But according to PBS reporting, schools are already fearing disruptions, including:

• Confusion around federal programs

• Delays or changes in funding

• Weakening support for vulnerable communities

At the same time, the DOE recently announced “new agency partnerships to break federal bureaucracy.” Beneath that language is a clear message:
States will hold more power, while federal oversight shrinks.

For Black families, this creates serious risks:

• Unequal distribution of resources

• Inconsistent civil rights enforcement

• Politically influenced curriculum

• Weakening of federal protections

Florida Shows Us What Happens When the Federal Guardrails Disappear

Florida has become the clearest example of what state-controlled curriculum can look like:

• Slavery softened and sanitized

• Resistance movements rewritten

• African history oversimplified

• Books banned or heavily restricted

These changes are not “mistakes.”
They are previews.

If the federal DOE weakens, other states can follow this pattern — even those considered progressive.

Why New York Parents Should Pay Attention

New York may feel secure, but dismantling the federal DOE removes national oversight. That means:

• Any shift in state leadership can impact curriculum

• Black history can be reduced or sanitized

• Funding for high-need districts may change

• Special education protections can become inconsistent

• Curriculum becomes vulnerable to political winds

New York is not immune.
No state is.

IV. The Era of Waiting Is Over: Home Must Become Headquarters

For too long, many of us relied solely on schools to teach history, identity, culture, and truth.

But we have entered a new era.

One where:

• Institutions pull back

• Curriculums shift

• History is rewritten

• Identity is shaped by political agendas

This is the moment for parents — especially Black parents — to lead.

Supplementation is not optional.
It is protection.

We must return to an ancestral model of education:

• Teach our children our stories

• Center our freedom narratives

• Build intentional home libraries

• Embed culture into daily life

And this is where traditions like Soup Joumou matter so deeply.

V. Soup Joumou: A Lesson No School Can Replace

Soup Joumou is not a recipe.
It is a liberation story.
A memory.
A declaration of identity.
A cultural inheritance.

Every January 1st, Haitians around the world honor the defeat of French rule and the birth of the first free Black republic.

And as some states erase, dilute, or rewrite Black history, traditions like Soup Joumou carry even greater meaning.

Teaching your child this story is:

• An act of resistance

• A cultural education

• A way of strengthening identity

• A reminder that freedom was fought for

• A celebration of Haitian pride

This is how we reclaim our children’s learning — through what we teach at home.

 Call to Action: Take One Powerful Step This Holiday Season

1. Join the HaitiDecoded Parent Facebook Group

Get access to:

• Cultural worksheets
  

• Parenting resources

• Haitian history tools

• Live sessions and discussions

This community is your village — a place to build cultural confidence and learning at home.

2. Support Black Small Business & Begin Teaching Soup Joumou at Home

This holiday season, start your child’s cultural education with my Soup Joumou Book Bundle — now $25.00 for Black Friday (regular price $27.99).

This bundle teaches children:

• The meaning of Independence Day

• The history behind Soup Joumou

• Pride in their Haitian ancestry

• The story of triumph and liberation

When you purchase the bundle, you are:

• Supporting a Black-owned cultural education platform

• Giving your child the gift of truth and identity

• Keeping traditions alive

• Planting roots that no school can erase

This is how we lead our children's learning — joyfully and intentionally.