Lydia mercer, Founder

Lydia is healing.  She is finding and centering joy, focusing on reimagining self and systems to see the full dignity of all of humanity.   

Throughout Lydia’s fifteen-year journey in education as a student, teacher, administrator and non-profit leader, she found herself challenged to design, reimagine, and change the systems she worked within.  By examining oppression and it’s conditioning on herself and all whom she engaged, she encountered a collective trauma that stifles change and possibility.  Through this journey, she found her path towards antiracism.   Her lived-experience created a path where she began to actively resist injustice. Her current journey is now not solely focused on resistance but in freedom dreaming.  Lydia is finding hope in the possibility of liberation of her own mind and body, and loves to support others on their journey.  She founded The (Un)Learning Space as a converging of lived experience and soul's purpose. 

Lydia's work is grounded in (un)learning her own racist trauma and supporting others as they examine and excavate the impact of oppression in their lives, the lives of others and the system in which we all engage.  As a dynamic and holistic coach, educator, creator, facilitator, and trainer, Lydia engages with all she meets with compassion and love.  She leads with equity, and inquiry.  She is empathetic, and her way of being reflects care, especially during courageous conversations. She builds capacity through authentic relationships, and loves every part of this “work.” She has designed and facilitated numerous workshops to support antiracism.  She facilitates racial healing circles, offers coaching sessions, and also supports organizations in decolonizing curriculum and resources so as to build cultural competency.  

Lydia has a Bachelor's Degree in Education from the University of Kansas (2005) and earned her Master's Degree in Cultural Education and Social Policy from Loyola, Chicago (2010).  She is a proud 2019 Surge Alum, and will forever be emerging! #Emergents

The only thing that matches Mercer’s passion for antiracism work is her toddler daughter, and her partner Jason. 

Ayanna is a Virtual Project Manager and Assistant as well as the Founder and CEO of Your Project Board. With close to a decade of experience in corporate settings, in both small and large firms, Ayanna took her expertise and talents to support and help streamline small businesses. 

Using her proactive approach and well versed skill set, Ayanna aims to help clients and partners effectively exceed their goals. She not only supports clients to exceed their goals, she does so with love, patience and flexibility.  Ayanna works with a naturally equitable lens ensuring that the organizations she supports feel heard and that they know that their work - and who they are - matter.  

 Sarah approaches her antiracist work with a beautiful mix of scholarly research and theory, and practical, grounded, and relevant lived experience. This lived experience has allowed her to center her knowledge in real examples of oppression, as well as authentic experiences of healing and justice.  Sarah is an activist who doesn’t take herself too seriously, yet carries the heavy weight of the work she does  with love and care - not only for herself, but for those with whom  she works.

Sarah has a gregarious - sometimes startling -  laugh that brightens any space! She loves to dress to the “nines” and is creative in all aspects of her being.  She is an entrepreneur and designs one-of-a-kind jewelry “for the culture.” She is the mother to three beautiful humans, and has learned more about herself and  life from motherhood than probably anything else.  Sarah is striving to thrive and to live a life of love, liberation, and light because she deserves it.  

In addition to her work here at the (Un)Learning Space, Sarah is a professor of English at the University of Kansas, where she utilizes hip hop pedagogy to teach composition. Sarah is also a 2022-2023 Mellon Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Teaching Scholar.  

Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Ottawa University (2002), a Master’s degree in Pan-African Studies from the University of Louisville (2007), a Master’s degree in Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of Louisville (2009), and a Ph.d. in English from the University of Kansas (2016). Basically, Sarah has all the degrees. 

Venice Williams is an energetic, passionate and collaborative leader who has a tenacity to build relationships and to find equitable education in all things. Venice began her professional career as a teacher, earning her Bachelor of Science of Education and Master’s of Education in Middle Childhood Education with concentrations in science and math from Wright State University. She would then maintain a 14-year career in the education sector. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, her nine years in the classroom would take her from North Carolina to Atlanta and Chicago. Her last five years were spent working with teachers and students in Chicago and Houston, crafting programs and maintaining resources for their success after high school. 

A creative, innovator and critical thinker, in 2020 Venice made the decision to leave her career to explore various avenues that can bridge the many desires she has. She is now living in Costa Rica and is enjoying her experience living abroad. Venice desires to advocate for and expose young people to education through travel, expanding resources and dismantling stereotypes while replacing it with knowledge, understanding and the importance of preserving cultural heritage. Her altruistic energy and outgoing personality has proven to inspire everyone she meets, fueling authentic, intentional relationships. Venice strongly believes traveling is not only a quick getaway from the bustle of everyday living - it can be a gateway to transformative healing. As a Black woman, Venice regards exposure as a key element in the process of unlearning. She is excited to engage and connect with others and to share her lessons along the way. 

In Venice’s spare time, you will find her listening to audiobooks, exploring Costa Rica, creating playlists between Apple Music and Spotify, exercising, taking pictures, writing and curating travel experiences.