Meet Ashley Causey-Golden

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Causey-Golden. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ashley, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
Being the only one in the room early in my teaching career in progressive education taught me the importance of creating spaces for your own. That drive to want to create something that centered Blackness and Black humanity fed my drive to be successful because it helped me to stay on mission. For me, being the “only one” is not a compliment or a prize because it can be a dangerous place where ego or isolation can get you distracted from the larger mission. Remembering the mission to transmit, build, and serve Black children and families helped me stay effective in spaces where I was the only one in the room.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My name is Ashley Causey-Golden and I am a Pro-Black early childhood educator and homeschooling enthusiast. I am the creator of Afrocentric Montessori and co-founder of Gather Forest School.

I have been teaching children since I was 18 years old and I still remember the student who led me to change my major from theater and communications to elementary and special education as a freshman in college at Oglethorpe University. I have been in traditional learning spaces (public and charter), progressive learning spaces (Reggio Emilia and Montessori), and African-centered learning environments in my 14 years of teaching.

The work I do with Afrocentric Montessori and Gather is a mixture of a labor of love and serves as an educational home for my two children that will keep their Blackness seen and their spirits whole.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three pieces of advice that I was given that became the most impactful in my journey were: 1. You have two eyes, two ears, and one mouth. Watch and listen more than you speak.
2. Invest in yourself. That’s the greatest investment that you can make. You can take a $100 investment in yourself and turn that into $100,000 by using the principles and training you took the time to learn.
3. Move out of hustle culture and out of a poverty mindset. Dream big and have audacious goals for your purpose.

The best way to develop or improve on these points is to slow down and get clear! We as a society move at such a fast pace that we are losing the importance of getting clear about who we are and what is our purpose on this Earth.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

My mission is to help Black families get Black-centered and Black-led education for their households. Keeping Black families’ minds, bodies, and spirits connected to the wisdom, culture, and beauty of Blackness is my intention with everything I create!

If you want to help me amplify this mission, you can help in the following ways:

– If you have land or commercial property – Connect with me to host events + training

– If you have an educational space – Connect with me to host camps/Saturday Schools/Evening Classes

– If you are a professor or principal of a school – Connect with me to speak/teach undergraduates or teachers about Montessori, the importance of Black-centered and Black-led education, and how to co-create learning spaces that center the Black child.

Contact Info:

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