Sheletta Brundidge wanted black voices in podcasts — but maybe not this one.
As she recorded a new show in a makeshift studio, the Cottage Grove woman innocently asked her son what was on his mind.
“You get me one pair of shoes for the entire school year!” said 13-year-old Andrew into the microphone. “I have a friend who has six pairs of shoes!”
Everyone in the studio laughed. Brundidge reeled from the on-air surprise attack. Could she recover?
“Six pairs? Does your friend have a foot deformity?” she countered. “You need new friends.”
It was not the debut she was planning. But spontaneity entertains audiences, so she kept on improvising as launch of her seven podcasts continued.
The podcasts aired Feb. 1 — her response to a lack of black voices on Twin Cities TV and radio.
“There are so many voices not being heard,” said Brundidge.
She produced the all-black podcasts as a media platform, inspired by the words of actor and director Tyler Perry.
“He said he was tired of fighting for a seat at the table, so he built his own table,” said Brundidge. “That’s what I am doing. I am going to build my own table.”
Last summer, Brundidge already had a résumé full of entertainment and media experience. She won an Emmy for comedy writing for the website Sheletta.com (now discontinued). She had been a stand-up comedienne, and works as a part-time producer on WCCO radio.
She already had started her first podcast, “Two Haute Mommas,” featuring her and 20-year friend Lindy Vincent.
But as a media insider, she was bothered by a lack of black employees in local radio and TV newscasts.
She said that when black people are portrayed on TV, it’s usually because they are criminals. “It’s always a mug shot. It’s always crime,” said Brundidge.
Last summer, she decided to do something about it.
She envisioned a set of podcasts with an all-black cast. She favored podcasts because they give producers complete control, with no editors, bosses or marketing departments to stand in the way.
“We are free to do whatever we want,” she said. “For the first time in my life, I feel totally liberated and free.”
Brundidge’s podcasts reflect her life. Her three youngest children have autism spectrum disorder, so one of the podcasts came naturally to her: “Taking Authority Over Autism.”
With oldest son Andrew, she launched “Mommy and Me: Navigating the Teen Years Together.” With her friend from the other podcast, she created “Laughing with Letta and Lindy.”
Others followed:
- “Dr. Verna’s Virtues,” with Dr. Verna Price, an author, TED Talks speaker and self-described human potential expert.
- “The Teen Whisperer,” with counselor Jason Clopton.
- “Life After Loss,” about parents recovering after the death of a child during childbirth.
- “J.E.T. Setting Divas,” with advice and stories from world travelers.
So far, Brundidge has spent about $40,000 on the podcasts.
“I am the Tyler Perry of podcasting. I am the producer, the engineer, the host. I book the guests and I clean and mop up afterwards,” said Brundidge.
Every week, she books a room in a Minneapolis hotel, hauls in microphones and computers, and records the podcasts.
The all-black cast, she said, garners the trust of black audiences — even though the content is for everyone.
“Teen Whisperer” Clopton compared it to seeing a black teacher in school. The lesson might be the same, but having a black person teach it inspires trust in black students.
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At the pop-up recording studio on Jan. 29, the talent lined up, and gushed about Brundidge’s approach.
“How many stories about black people are out there? Are they positive or negative?” said Dr. Price, as she waited her turn.
Negative, she said. “But the truth is there is a ton of bold and brilliant black people who do amazing things, and those stories never get told.”
Behind her, Clopton and 13-year-old Andrew leaned into their mics, headsets clamped into place. Brundidge waved a finger to cue them, and they kicked off their first show.
First item of business: Kobe Bryant, who died three days earlier.
Clopton said he knows a man who named his son after the basketball legend. But the man had not yet told his son about Bryant’s death, afraid to trigger grief.
That got Andrew to open up, admitting that he felt the same grief. “I have some Kobe moves that I am still trying to do,” he said.
“It’s OK to cry. It’s OK to grieve,” said Clopton. “It’s OK to express how you feel.”
Then it was Brundidge’s turn.
She sat next to her son on the sofa, as they argued about the shoes that absolutely everyone seemed to have — except Andrew.
She tried to be empathetic, saying gently, “Tell me, what would six pairs of shoes mean to you?”
The answer: “It would mean my parents love me.”
“We give you a nice place to live,” she stammered. “Food to eat …”
“… and old raggedy shoes,” snapped Andrew.
Andrew forcefully laid his case, point by point, like a lawyer in a courtroom: “They are Nikes. They are LeBrons. They are $120. They are in brilliant colors.”
Her only explanation for the “raggedy shoes” was one sentence: “You walk too hard.”