A national pushback against DEI initiatives, and a state DFL boycott of the House, brought new meaning to this year’s gathering of Black business owners.
MINNEAPOLIS — After a year of planning, and a month of re-planning due to political twists and turns both nationally and locally, Sheletta Brundidge was relieved to once again greet hundreds of Black business owners inside the Minnesota Capitol on Monday morning.
“It’s a family up in here,” Brundidge said, standing at a podium inside the packed rotunda. “This is Black Entrepreneurs Day.”
The annual event, which began three years ago in response to the murder of George Floyd, has also sought to better connect Black entrepreneurs to the political process.
“Many of our Black entrepreneurs, they literally had never been to the Capitol, never even been there to talk to their representatives,” said Dr. Verna Cornelia Price, a local business owner, author, podcaster and founder of The Power of People Leadership Institute. “I’ve been an entrepreneur for 30 years. Now, more than ever before, all of us have to step up because for us to thrive, we have to be talking to everyone.”
Those talks with legislators looked a lot different at this year’s gathering. The vast majority of business owners who showed up for the event came from districts represented by House Democrats, who weren’t on hand due to their ongoing boycott due to a power-sharing fight with Republicans.
“It’s a big letdown,” said Brianna Hill, CEO of Intimate Perspectives, which offers business consulting and project management. “But at the same time it’s a big come up because it gives other people the opportunity that probably wouldn’t have been invited, or weren’t going to come, to come in and show up and show out.”
In response to the political stalemate, Brundidge helped recruit more Republicans to join the conversation, including State Representative Jim Nash.
“We need to streamline government to be responsive to your needs,” Nash said, addressing the crowd before joining other Republicans in one-on-one meetings with several attendees.
Brundidge also recruited Democratic state leaders, including Governor Tim Walz, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and Attorney General Keith Ellison to speak at the event, while also convincing some Democrats from the Minnesota Congressional delegation to come and listen to concerns in place of their colleagues.
“We all need to be pulling together now, more than ever,” said Congresswoman Betty McCollum.
“I’m especially excited to be here today because, just a couple of weeks ago, I was assigned to the small business committee in Congress,” said Congresswoman Kelly Morrison.
“I think it will matter,” Hill said, of the big bipartisan showing. “I think that makes a difference to know that people can step up outside of their wheelhouse or whatever side they choose to be on, and meet with somebody who doesn’t look like them and really just be human. We’re making business happen and making Minnesota better.”
Brundidge saw evidence of that before the day even began. After making the difficult decision of dropping Amazon as a sponsor for the event – due to its elimination of DEI initiatives – she saw other groups and individuals step in to fund a $5,000 scholarship and shuttles to make the event happen as planned.
“It just tells you that Minnesota wants to see small business owners succeed, regardless of the color,” she said. “We’re in Black History Month and one of my favorite quotes from Dr. King says, ‘all of life is interconnected.’ I can’t be everything that I’m called to be until you’re everything you’re called to be. Our success is success for the state of Minnesota.”
And this year, they hope it’s the legislators who can follow their lead and step up and show up for them.
“We are divided by party lines, but there are real people impacted by this party division,” said Yolanda Pierson, who owns Pierson & Son’s Trucking with her husband. “So I hope that both the democrats and the republicans can find a way to find that common ground so that they can fight for their constituents.”
