Meet Shemeka Sainvil and Tangela Steele | Owner – Melanated Mindz

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shemeka Sainvil and Tangela Steele and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shemeka and Tangela, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Melanated Mindz was created in 2019 after searching tirelessly for school supplies and resources that positively represented Black culture. After finding very little, we began to brainstorm ideas. Honestly speaking, the brainstorming session did not make it very far. Ideas were thrown around, but we both were hesitant on moving forward. It was not until a year later when we decided to put our thoughts into action. Realizing that representation is essential, and time waits for no one, we decided to stop talking and start doing. Through the work of initially creating school resources, we realized the needs extend further. Through this, Melanated Conversations and later the Social Action Box were created. The aim of Melanated Conversations is to bring families, friends, and loved ones together to have critical and essential conversations around topics that matter in our community. The Social Action Box came as a result of the systemic racism that is so prevalent in our society. As we began to have deeper conversations with our children regarding race relations and propelling the movement, we realized the pressing need to not only educate the young, but prepare them to continue the fight for equality.

What should our readers know about your business?
Melanated Mindz’s number one focus is on empowering our youth. We want our melanated youth to know that they are extraordinary and come from a lineage of greatness. It is also important for them to know that regardless of cultural background, we are all connected and should be united because together we create the uniqueness and beauty of Black.

This is done through the work of providing educational and social resources. First, we wanted to provide students with resources that have images of people who look like them. Then we decided to take it further by assisting families, friends, and loved ones in being able to engage in conversations on topics that matter the most in our community. As we do the work of empowering them with culturally relevant resources and exposing them to what it means to be Black, we also want our youth to have the tools and knowledge to understand and fight for justice and equality. All of the resources that we provide are strategically chosen to specifically meet the demands and needs of the kids in our community.

Melanated Mindz continues to evolve with the ultimate goal of being the business for everything a Black youth needs to feel empowered and encouraged. The business’s intent is to continue to provide positive portrayals of Melanin Magic but also serve to educate and uplift. The children are the future, but it’s up to us to ensure they have the resources and knowledge needed.

Has it been easy? No. Is it easy now? Definitely not! The pandemic has put a damper on things, but we realize that the cause is bigger than us. Therefore, no matter how uncomfortable we may get, we have to do this for our kids collectively because the need for it is still prevalent.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is a great question and maybe because of the difficulty in answering it. The two of us are such home bodies, especially as we get older. We love to eat, so the visit will involve a lot it. All of this is assuming everything is back to pre-COVID way of life.

Saturday:
• Sunday’s Eatery – Trick Daddy’s restaurant; we have to show love to a Miami legend
• South Beach – Anyone who comes into town wants to know what South Beach is like so we would have to spend the rest of the day enjoying the beach, shops, and eateries on South Beach. We may even indulge in some of the night life activities South Beach has to offer.

Sunday:
• New Mount Olive Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale
• Café Iguanas – Sunday brunch. We know, straight from the church and on to the club….God is still working on us.
• Relax and Catch Up at Home
• Attend a live Performance by @jhowardmusic

Monday:
• Royal Casino in Fort Lauderdale – Breakfast
• Old Dillard Museum – We are proud Dillard alumni so we have to represent and share a piece of history.
• Dillard High School – We would ride pass to get an up close glimpse of the infamous school while reminiscing on how much it has grown and changed. We would talk and laugh as we share memories about the “good ole days” and the all of the fun we had in high school.
• Donna’s – first choice is the one on 441 and Oakland in Ft. Lauderdale for lunch
• Las Olas
• The Lickin – Dinner (the original one in Miami)

Tuesday:
• Donna’s – breakfast
• Swap Shop – Just because
• Home – Rest and relax in the air conditioner at home because the South Florida sun ain’t no joke
• Bolay – dinner (try to be a little healthy before indulging)
• Melting Pot – Desert Only

Wednesday:
• Sawgrass Mall – A day of shopping

Thursday:
• Spoon’s Grill – Breakfast
• Heavenly Nails – Pedicure and Manicure
• Overtown/Bayside/Little Haiti – Touring and eating as we go
• Red Rooster – Dinner

Friday:
• Breakfast at home – sleep in to prepare for the long day
• Jerk Machine – Lunch: Jamaican Patty
• Ft. Lauderdale Beach
• Food Truck – Rib dinner from the food truck on 31st Avenue and 21st Street in Fort Lauderdale
• Improve – Comedy show
• Hard Rock

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We want to give a shout out to our people. Our perseverance, strength, and determination is commendable. We’ve overcome tremendous obstacles and still deal with unfathomable injustices today. For so long our true history has been ignored and policies are being put in place throughout the Nation to continue to ignore our history. However, we have to push forward and continue to fight for an accurate portrayal of where we come from and what we’ve been through. We are more than what the media portray us to be! We do what we do because we want better outcomes and opportunities for our people, especially our youth. We want our young ones to grow up understanding their worth and their rich history that DOES NOT begin with slavery. We are a great nation of people who continue to overcome and excel even with the barriers that are placed in our path.

We would also be remiss if we do not acknowledge our family. It is their love, support, and encouragement that has gotten us this far and that continues to push us.

Website: www.melanatedmindz.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanated_mindz_/; @ melanated_mindz_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melanatedmindz3/; @melanatedmindz3

Image Credits
Shootingdai Photography Madame Amelia Photography