Some traveled more than an hour to be in downtown Minneapolis, April 23, for a first-of-its-kind happy hour event for adults on the spectrum, hosted by Sheletta Brundidge, a business owner, Emmy Award-winning broadcaster on WCCO Radio, podcaster, author, Black activist and mom. Brundidge is also autistic.
“We drank, we ate, we laughed, we talked and we wandered around,” Brundidge said. “It was a safe space filled with fun, laughter and special connections.”
The group mingling and enjoying themselves did not fit the autism stereotype described recently by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said in a press conference of kids with autism, “They will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They'll never play baseball. They'll never write a poem. They'll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted."
“RFK’s comments are at best frustrating, at worst terrifying,” said Sierra Grandy, who is autistic and attended the happy hour. She is also a speaker, attorney and holds a master’s degree in international and comparative tax law. Simply put, Grandy knows more about taxes than most including Kennedy. She sees no value in remarks about what autistic children will or will not do as adults.
“We know what can work, providing people with the resources they need to live a self-directed life.” Grandy credits the help she received as a child for getting her where she is today and is an outspoken disability and neurodiversity advocate. Before her official autism and ADHD diagnoses, Grandy spent a good portion of her childhood in and out of hospitals, even facing suicidal ideation as young as 11 years old.
“The answer isn’t to divide into us versus them, it’s to come together and provide more resources,” Grandy commented. “We also can’t have people making decisions without understanding the nuances of these conversations.”
That’s why Grandy appreciated the happy hour event in Minneapolis and the opportunity to be a part of a group working together with the same goal: to belong. That is the exact mission of Fraser, which co-hosted the happy hour with Brundidge. Fraser is the oldest and largest autism, mental health and disability provider in Minnesota. “When everyone belongs our community is stronger,” said Mary Arneson, director of marketing at Fraser. “An event like this helps emphasize that fact, that you belong at a happy hour, just like anyone else would.”
That was the motivation for Brundidge, who launched the event after Kennedy’s remarks and within weeks of her own autism diagnosis. She admits she was horrified to hear Kennedy tell a whole group of people they are worthless and during April, Autism Awareness Month. So, Brundidge hosted the happy hour for autistic adults to do just that, bring back the happy. “The room was full and so was my heart when dozens of folks showed up,” Brundidge added.
More than 50 people attended the first-of-its-kind social event, which Arneson of Fraser said accomplished its simple goal. “People enjoyed themselves and we all left feeling good.”