The Power of Her: A Spotlight on Women Building Legacy, Leadership, and Liberation in Minnesota

Sheletta Brundidge is a dynamic force in Minnesota—a comedian, author, broadcast personality, and relentless community advocate. Her voice is not just familiar; it is trusted, needed, and used with conviction. From organizing emergency job fairs for the African-American community during government shutdowns to championing services for neurodivergent families, Brundidge embodies the mission of The Power of Her: a woman actively building a legacy, leading with fierce intention, and creating pathways for collective liberation.

In this exclusive interview, we explore the engine behind her advocacy, the defining moment of her career, and her powerful vision for Black women in Minnesota and beyond.

Tom Akaolisa (MinneapoliMedia): Sheletta, thank you for sitting with us. Your career spans broadcasting, authorship, entrepreneurship, and deeply rooted community advocacy. When you step back and look at the cumulative impact you have made, what do you see as the intentional legacy you are building, especially for women and mothers in Minnesota?

Sheletta Brundidge: I want to show people what respect looks like and how you treat us. I want to show people that we are not accepting anything less than the best. When I have events, especially for Black women, I always go all out. I ensure we have the best of everything, whether it’s the decorations, the food, the job opportunities, or the funding. It must be the best.

Malcolm X once said the most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. Historically, we have been relegated to just receiving the crumbs under the table—and then they make us fight for those crumbs. One of my primary goals now is helping Black women truly see what supporting each other looks like. I want us to recognize that whatever blessing God has for another woman is hers, and whatever God has for me is mine. There is no need for jealousy. Let’s all help each other, rise together, and elevate one another. If I lift you up, I am lifted up, too.

My role is to ensure that Black women remain in the conversation—that people are talking about us, our concerns, and, just as importantly, our celebrations.

Akaolisa: Every influential leader has a turning point. What was the defining moment that shifted you from simply having a platform to using that platform as a tool for activism, opportunity, and liberation for others?

Brundidge: God always gave me these gifts, but He wouldn’t let me use them until He could trust me. I haven't always been trustworthy; I used to be very selfish with them, keeping them for myself and my family. It wasn’t until God trusted me to be a blessing to somebody else that He began to bless me with more.

If I am on a stage, or if I have a light, or if I have something going on, it is my responsibility and my duty to share that with others. If I’m not sharing it, I’m not using the gifts God has given me. My goal is to be a light, to be an oxygenator—to fan the flames of another Black woman, to shine a light on her, and to say, "Hey, over here, look at what this woman is doing." If I have a creative idea that I think will help a sister sell her product or get her business noticed, I do that. There is enough money for all of us to be rich.

Akaolisa: You often make a mission of elevating marginalized voices—African-American families, small business owners, and, critically, neurodivergent children. Why is this work so essential to you, and what systemic barriers remain that must still be dismantled?

Brundidge: I’m simply trying to make it easier for somebody else. I don’t want anyone to have to struggle the way I did to get access to services and resources, especially concerning kids with autism.

Autism is often seen as something only little white boys get. They cut up in school, they get tested, they receive a diagnosis, and they get grace. Little Black boys cut up in school, and they don’t get a diagnosis; they get disciplined. That is the school-to-prison pipeline. They go from elementary to middle to high school, labeled as a "problem kid," and are put into behavior classes when all they really need is a diagnosis and grace.

My daughter was told she had a bad attitude, that she didn't like talking to people. No, she has autism, and she couldn't talk outside the house. She didn't get the grace that white girls with autism received. To educate people, I had to write children’s books and advocate in schools for kids who look like mine. We must dismantle the idea that this is a “white” issue and fight for equity in diagnosis and treatment.

Akaolisa: How has motherhood, specifically raising autistic children, informed your leadership style, your resilience, and your commitment to building a more inclusive Minnesota?

Brundidge: My kids have to eat. That’s the fuel. I have to get out here and work because I’m not just feeding myself; I’m feeding my children, and they keep growing, and they like nice stuff.

The reality of being a Black woman is that nobody is coming for me. Nobody is going to help me. I have to help myself and my children. If I get anything, it is hard-fought, labored for, and earned.

It is sad that Black women can’t celebrate their success without being threatened. I’m currently driving an old minivan with a cracked windshield because the same thing my grandparents dealt with—the need to hide success so as not to be a target when it’s time for a raise or a layoff—is still an issue. We are still dealing with the same systemic issues that we faced in the last century. That drive, that necessity to provide for my children, is what keeps me fighting through all of it.

Akaolisa: Your books, media appearances, and outreach all center on storytelling. What do you believe is the unique power of an African-American woman’s story in transforming hearts, systems, and communities?

Brundidge: Black women are the backbone of this country and the moral compass of the United States of America. Everybody knows that. Look at any TV show—Good Times, The Cosby Show, Abbott Elementary—Black women are the moral compass. Whichever way the voice of Black women goes, people need to follow, because we are connected to a higher power. We’ve been here before. We know what’s coming, and we will always work for the greater good.

Black women are the most unselfish group of people. We will give someone our last and still show up, still smile. We don't look like what we’ve been through.

Akaolisa: This series centers on Liberation. How do you personally define liberation, and how does your daily work contribute to advancing that liberation for families and communities across Minnesota?

Brundidge: Liberation for me means the freedom to make as much money as you want. The one thing that white people have continually done to Black women is limit our opportunities.

I remember when I made my first million dollars, a white man at an event said, "What more do you want? You’re already working with Target and General Mills. You ought to have enough." I had to explain: I want to make so much money that when my people call me for something, I don't have to go call somebody else to help them. I can just reach in my pocket and give from my overflow.

I want to give and work from overflow, not from exhaustion. I read a story about MacKenzie Scott, Jeff Bezos’s former wife, who has been donating billions to historically Black colleges and universities. The headline said she has donated more than $19 billion, but it’s barely made a dent in her net worth. That is the definition of overflow. I want to be right there. I should be able to do that without anybody trying to restrict me or audit me, or suggesting I have too much. We need to stop apologizing for success and demand our full worth. It is always about the money.

Akaolisa: What message would you give to a young girl in Minnesota who dreams of becoming a change-maker, storyteller, or entrepreneur but feels unseen and unheard?

Brundidge: Stop worrying about what somebody else thinks of you, and stop worrying about feeling unseen and unheard. You stay in your lane, you do your job, and you get out here and kill it. You work hard and stop looking for validation from anywhere other than above.

If you don't see me or hear me, that’s on you, because I'm going to be out here shining bright and making a difference. I'm going to be walking in the light of the Lord and living inside of God’s dream for me.

We need to stop all of this "imposter syndrome" talk. That has never been a characteristic of Black women. Whatever we have, we worked for, and we need to own it, and we need not apologize for success.

Akaolisa: Finally, as is tradition for The Power of Her, we ask our guests to introduce us to another African-American woman who embodies this same spirit of legacy, leadership, and liberation—someone whose work deserves to be seen, centered, and celebrated. Who comes to mind?

Brundidge: Oh my God, there are so many women, but I think a lot of times our elders get overlooked—women who have done the work and have not been recognized for their accomplishments. I want to highlight Pat Sampson. She was a CEO, and she is a minister at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. She has left a legacy of leadership and business, and she is an example of what integrity, hard work, and dedication look like.

When I started my company, I went to her house and just sat at her feet and let her pour into me. She taught me everything about being a leader, having integrity, and telling the truth—not trying to put five on ten. The way she carries herself and how she pours into younger women and business leaders is a model and a blessing.

Akaolisa: Sheletta, sitting with you today reinforces why your presence matters so much in Minnesota and beyond. Thank you for your honesty, your fire, and the intentional way you continue to lift others as you rise.

Brundidge: Thank you for highlighting Black women. A lot of times, our contributions and our work don't get recognized. We will die, and it will show up in an obituary, and people will say, "I didn't know she did all that." To have an organization like yours put a spotlight on our work and our accomplishments means the world to us. Thank you.

MinneapoliMedia