BUFFALO, N.Y. — An author from Minnesota is joining the push to bring books with more representation to Buffalo in order to fight racism.

What You Need To Know

  • An author in Minnesota has been following the stories of Buffalo's good neighbors after the racially-motivated Tops shooting on May 14

  • She is donating more than 1,000 of her children's books to promote diversity

  • She said representation matters

“Every one of us has to play a part in helping the community heal. There’s something that each one of us can do. There’s a small contribution that each one of us can make,” said Sheletta Brundidge, a mother, author, business owner and autism advocate from the Cottage Grove, MN.

Brundidge has four children between the ages of 7 and 15. Three of them have been diagnosed with autism. When her daughter, Cameron, came home from kindergarten saying she wished she had white skin so she looked like the characters in her books, Brundidge decided to start writing books of her own. 

The representation in her books is part of why she wanted to donate more than 1,000 of them to Buffalo, to bring comfort to children impacted by the racially-motivated massacre at a Tops on May 14, and stop racism before kids get the chance to learn it.

“And if we can put a book in the hands of these children to say, ‘hey, we care, love you from Minnesota,’ then that’ll let them know that they matter to more than just the family and the community, but to people around the world,” said Brundidge.

She said other Minnesota-based children’s book authors have also teamed up to battle racism in Buffalo. It is part of another effort by Zeneta Everhart to collect books with representation through an Amazon wishlist after her son Zaire survived being shot that day.