What Is Whitewashing? (And Why It Matters in Homeschooling)

If you’ve been in progressive homeschool spaces for a while, chances are you’ve run across the word whitewashing—especially in conversations around history and literature. It’s a term that’s often misunderstood or brushed off, but it’s one that deeply impacts how our kids see the world, understand history, and relate to others.

So let’s talk about it.

And I want to pause here to say this: yes, I am a white woman. I am writing this post not as an expert, but as someone who is still learning and unlearning every day. My voice should never be the loudest in this conversation. We should all be listening to, and learning from, marginalized Black, Indigenous, and people of color who have been speaking out about whitewashing, racism, and erasure for a very long time. If you’re newer to this work, start by seeking out their voices. Support their work. Share their books. Follow their lead.

What Does “Whitewashing” Mean?

Whitewashing is the act of altering or erasing the contributions, perspectives, and identities of people of color, often to make a story more appealing, more comfortable, or more centered on white experiences.

This can happen in obvious ways, like casting white actors to play people of color in movies. But in homeschooling, whitewashing is often more subtle. It’s the curriculum that only tells one side of the story. It’s the book list full of white authors. It’s the “heroes” of history who are never critiqued, and the stories of resistance that are never told.

If Race Isn’t Stated, It’s Assumed White

Here’s a sneaky way whiteness gets centered: if a character’s race isn’t mentioned, we’re usually meant to assume they’re white.

That default assumption isn’t neutral. It’s the result of decades of storytelling that positioned whiteness as the “norm” and everyone else as “other.” So when we read a story that says nothing about a character’s background, most readers, even BIPOC ones, automatically picture a white person.

This is why representation has to be intentional. We need characters whose cultural identities are visible and celebrated, not invisible or erased.

What Is White Saviorism?

White saviorism is when white people are framed as the “heroes” of stories about marginalized communities. We’ve all seen it in movies: the white teacher who “fixes” a classroom full of BIPOC students, or the white friend who helps a Black character “find their voice.” These stories may seem inspiring, but they keep the focus on whiteness.

White saviorism silences the very people it claims to help. Instead of uplifting the voices of the oppressed, it centers the white person’s journey, making them look brave or noble while flattening everyone else’s experiences.

Other Examples of Whitewashing in Homeschool Materials

Here are some other ways whitewashing shows up in the homeschool world:

• History books that describe European colonizers as “discoverers” while ignoring or downplaying the violence and destruction inflicted on Indigenous peoples.
• Science units that include no contributions from scientists of color, even though their work is foundational to many discoveries.
• Literature guides that analyze classic novels without addressing the racism, sexism, or outdated language in the texts—or excluding diverse books entirely.
• Thanksgiving units that portray friendly Pilgrims and Native Americans sharing a meal, while ignoring the context of genocide and broken treaties.
• Civil Rights lessons that begin and end with Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, while ignoring figures like Bayard Rustin, Fannie Lou Hamer, or the Black Panthers.

Sometimes, whitewashing even appears in how “neutral” a resource claims to be. You might see a curriculum describe itself as “faith neutral” or “not political,” but when you dig deeper, it still centers white, Christian, and Eurocentric perspectives, just without naming them.

Why It Matters

This isn’t about checking boxes or being “politically correct.” It’s about truth. It’s about justice. And it’s about raising kids who understand the world in a way that’s honest, respectful, and inclusive.

When we allow whitewashing in our homeschool materials, we are:

• Teaching our kids an incomplete, often inaccurate version of history.
• Erasing the lived experiences and contributions of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color.
• Reinforcing the idea, consciously or not, that whiteness is “default,” and everyone else is an add-on or exception.

Even more importantly, we risk teaching kids that it’s normal to ignore harm, to celebrate conquest, and to stay silent when injustice happens, as long as the story ends with someone “winning.”

But we can do better.

What We Can Do Instead

One of the best things about homeschooling is the freedom to choose what and how we teach. That gives us the power—and the responsibility—to seek out materials that reflect the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.

If you’re white—like me—this isn’t about guilt. It’s about responsibility. We don’t need to center ourselves in every conversation. In fact, sometimes the best thing we can do is step back and make room for BIPOC creators, educators, and voices to lead.

Here are a few simple steps we can take to unlearn whitewashed narratives and build a more inclusive homeschool:

• Diversify your bookshelf. Include books by authors of color, especially when teaching history, science, and literature. Let children of color see themselves represented. Let white children see people of color as complex and central—not just as background characters.
• Teach multiple perspectives. When learning about an event like colonization, read both the colonizers’ version and Indigenous accounts. Talk about the differences. Always ask your kids, “Whose voice is missing here?”
• Call things what they are. If a historical figure owned enslaved people, say so. If a policy harmed people, name it. Kids can handle the truth—and they deserve it.
• Look for secular, inclusive curriculum. Many popular homeschool programs, even those that claim to be “neutral,” still carry strong cultural and religious biases. Seek out resources that are written with anti-racism and inclusion in mind. (I’ll be sharing some of our favorites in a future post!)
• Be open to learning (and unlearning). Most of us have been taught whitewashed history at some point. This isn’t about shame—it’s about growth. When we model that learning for our kids, they learn to do the same.

Let’s Raise Better Historians

Our kids don’t need a sugar-coated version of the past. They need the truth—told with care, context, and compassion. They need to know that real people lived these stories, and that real people still live with the impact of them today.

Whitewashing is harmful. But awareness is powerful. And small shifts in how we teach can ripple into big change.

Want to Learn More? Start Here:

Here are some BIPOC educators and creators doing amazing work. If you want to grow in your understanding, start by listening to them:

@theconsciouskid Book lists, research, and resources on parenting and racial justice.

Britt Hawthorne Montessori educator and author of Raising Antiracist Children.

Sonya Renee Taylor Author of The Body Is Not an Apology, focused on radical self-love and dismantling white supremacy.

@latinxparenting A bilingual platform sharing decolonized parenting tools and healing resources.

@indigenouseducators Education and advocacy from Indigenous educators across Turtle Island.

The AntiRacist APUSH Curriculum A resource created by Keisha Rembert for teaching U.S. history through a justice-centered lens.

Need Inclusive, Anti-Racist Homeschool Communities?

Strictly Secular + Inclusive Homeschooling
To be fair, I am heavily involved in this group. When I need resources and community, this is where I head. We are no longer on facebook, but the website will link you to the other platforms we’ve moved to.

Secular & Decolonizing Homeschooling Resources and Connections | Facebook
This group is more centered on facebook and provides great resources.

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Looking for inclusive curriculum options? Stay tuned—I’ll be sharing resources, book lists, and guides to help you build an anti-racist homeschool from the ground up.

Have you noticed whitewashing in homeschool materials? What are your favorite ways to push back against it? Let’s talk in the comments.