Meet Sherri Mehta

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sherri Mehta a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sherri , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

My purpose found me, I do believe. I think for as long as I can remember, I’ve followed these three words: seek, find, share. I’m naturally curious – a lover of all mysteries, secrets, hidden things. And once I’ve learned or discovered something, I cannot keep it to myself! I’ve always been the friend with, what I called, “useless tidbits of knowledge.”

But those useless tidbits led me to discover/uncover. The time that stands out as the most pivotal was during undergrad at Hampton University. I was a Mass Media Arts major then, focusing on radio and television. Mass Media majors had to complete a thesis – and I’m talking typed on a Word Processor, printed, bound, and defended. In undergrad!

My topic at that time centered on D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation and the counter-movie The Birth of a Race. It had long been believed that Hampton University had something to do with the funding of the second movie, but as I dug and dug and dug some more, I ended up at the Library of Congress.

Side story: my best friend’s father, rest his soul, drove us there to do research to write these papers and graduate.

But, I digress… what I found went against the memory, and I recall sitting in front of my Brother Word Processor debating if I should share this new information I had found or to roll with what had been believed for so long. I decided to go with my discovery, and I will never forget the look of shock and awe on the faces of my committee chair and the department members who showed up for my mini-defense. I was nervous. Everything was riding on the line, and I remember thinking, “they either accept this truth or they don’t, but I am proud of the work I have done.”

At the end, I waited with bated breath, thinking surely they would run me out of Armstrong Hall. But after a long pause, they clapped for me and thanked me for my research work. I knew in that moment that I wanted to find those truths that were hidden or lost. I wanted to bring truth and hope and pride to those who had been disconnected from their story. I leaned into my truth-telling spirit and have let the ancestors guide me since.

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

I’m a homeschooling mom of two, lifelong educator, and passionate advocate for literature-based learning. Before stepping into the homeschooling world, I spent years as a high school English teacher and a university lecturer. I hold both an M.A. and a Ph.D. in English Literature, and I’ve been teaching, mentoring, and encouraging young people for over two decades. My good friend and I started a homeschooling co-op and non-profit named Vibrant Minds of Maryland, Inc. We are committed to making homeschooling affordable, accessible, and sustainable for families in Central Maryland. We are entering into our second year, providing high quality academic classes for over 50 kids from K-8.

I’m also a published writer and the owner and operator of Freedom Fighters, Freedom Writers, where I lead in-person and virtual workshops focused on the lives and letters of AfricanAmerican men who served in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War. This work is an extension of my doctoral research, and I’m so lucky to be able to share the stories of the USCTs. I also host Dr. Ladybug’s Lit Circle, a virtual literature circle designed to help middle and high school homeschoolers engage with great books through meaningful conversations and hands-on cross-disciplinary projects. My specialty is literature-based history, and I love creating spaces where stories come alive and young scholars feel seen, heard, and inspired.

Right now, I have a semester-long unit study and workbook for sale for middle and high school students that focuses on learning more about the United States Colored Troops through their letters and the 19th-century letter-writing (epistolary) process. The workbook will be available for purchase August 16. The companion book for adults will be available early 2026.

At the heart of everything I do is a deep love for teaching and learning—and a commitment to building a supportive, empowering community where everyone feels seen and valued.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Natural curiosity about all things and all people
2. The ability to build community wherever I go
3. Knowledge of self; my family’s rich history

Words of advice:
Remember that the journey is the reward. There is so much power and joy on that journey. Enjoy it a bit.

If you move with good intentions and the desire to be a good steward to others and your community, you won’t go wrong. Do the thing that brings you the most joy, and you will bring joy to others.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

I would spend it with my family and good friends. I would travel, teach, read, write, and be intentional about how I spend my time and with whom. I think I’m kind of doing that now. There is a sense of liberation that comes in your 50s, almost a paradigm shift. Time spent creating small moments of joy, sharing love or a meal or lending a hand all make life worth living.

Contact Info:

• Website: freedomfightersfreedomwriters.org; vibrantmindsofmd.orgs