4th anniversary of George Floyd Death: Sheletta uses award to call for renewed investment in Black-owned businesses

Recognized for “using her pulpit to help Black entrepreneurs” and working to close the employment gap for Minnesotans with autism, Sheletta Brundidge was honored with a Twin Cities Business Community Impact Award. Her business, ShelettaMakesMeLaugh.com, was one of the ten local organizations recognized by the magazine with TCB Community Impact Awards, noted for “moving the needle on equity, education, environment and other pressing societal concerns.” Brundidge used the recent awards ceremony to deliver a frank message about setbacks in the ongoing struggle for racial equity by Black-owned businesses. Wearing a denim jacket over a black “All Eyez on Me” T-shirt that quotes Tupac Shakur, Brundidge joined TCB magazine editor-in-chief Allison Kaplan for an onstage interview before the packed room of community and business leaders. In conversation with Kaplan, Brundidge reflected on the uptick in business that she and other Black business owners experienced following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin. “Sympathetic white people in Minnesota realized they did had not been doing right by Black business owners, so they made adjustments to their budget and started diversifying their ad buys, contracting, spending,” she said. “They did that because they made promises that...