A recent independent audit reveals that a significant portion of taxpayer funds allocated for a Minneapolis expo celebrating Black businesses went to vendors outside Minnesota. The city spent nearly $500,000 on the February event, with out-of-state businesses receiving a larger share than local vendors. The "I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams" expo, organized by the city's Department of Race, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, aimed to support local Black-owned businesses. However, the report by Baker Tilly, a public accounting and consulting firm, shows that $269,500 went to 25 vendors from states like Georgia, New York, North Carolina, and Maryland. In contrast, Minnesota-based vendors received approximately $230,000.
This discrepancy has drawn criticism from City Council Member Linea Palmisano, who expressed disappointment that an event promoted as a celebration of Black History Month and local businesses primarily benefited out-of-state entities. The expo, intended to draw up to 20,000 attendees, saw significantly lower participation, with fewer than 3,700 registered attendees. The fallout from the event and the audit's findings led to the resignation of Tyeastia Green, the department's director. The report highlighted Green's actions and those of a contractor she chose for the event as central to the issues surrounding the expo's funding distribution.
Minneapolis City Hall is pictured on June 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Trisha Ahmed)
