Let’s be real. When someone says “event planning,” your brain probably conjures up Pinterest boards, mason jars, and an unnecessary amount of burlap. Maybe an anxious bride micromanaging flower arrangements with the ferocity of a drill sergeant. But what if I told you the real gladiators of the gala world are three women in St. Paul who are out here body-slamming the chaos, taming the logistical lions, and making it all look easier than getting a Minnesotan to talk about the weather?
Yes, folks. According to FOX 9 (which usually focuses on things like school closings and passive-aggressive mayoral press conferences), these women — Charnel Wright, Latasha Perkins, and A.J. Haggerty — are the holy trinity of the Twin Cities' event planning world. If there were a Mount Rushmore of Event Queens, their chiseled faces would already be carved, possibly with glitter.
Let’s break it down.
Meet the Event Avengers
1. Charnel Wright – The Visionary
Charnel is the CEO of Urban League Twin Cities and the founder of CW Consulting Group. Translation? She’s the kind of person who wakes up at 4:30 AM on purpose, already drinking green juice, meditating, and solving problems you didn’t even know existed.
When most people look at a vacant lot or a crusty conference room with carpet that hasn’t been shampooed since the Bush administration, Charnel sees potential. She sees vision boards. She sees lighting design. She’s basically a wizard with a clipboard. And if you think you’re just going to show up with some folding chairs and vibes — think again.
This woman plans Juneteenth events that don’t just happen — they happen with purpose, intention, and enough fabulousness to make even Beyoncé say, “Okay, I see you.”
2. Latasha Perkins – The Organizer
If Charnel is the visionary, Latasha is the muscle. She’s the COO of the CW Consulting Group and, judging by her presence in the FOX 9 piece, she doesn’t suffer fools — or missed deadlines.
This woman doesn’t need a coffee. She is the coffee.
She’s the kind of person who can coordinate a ribbon cutting, a city permit, three food trucks, a live DJ, and a parade — while simultaneously calming a city official having a minor panic attack over noise ordinances. Her planner probably has more color coding than a Crayola factory meltdown, and she’s still somehow five steps ahead of everyone else in the room.
3. A.J. Haggerty – The Unifier
A.J. is the calm in the middle of the storm. The glue holding the glitter together. A public relations expert and community engagement guru, she’s the kind of person who knows everyone, remembers their birthdays, and somehow got your grandma to show up at that youth entrepreneurship summit with baked goods.
A.J. handles the community like a maestro — orchestrating vendors, sponsors, speakers, and volunteers in perfect harmony. If you need someone to convince a hundred people to show up in the middle of February for an outdoor market in St. Paul (and you know it’s colder than a polar bear’s nose out there), A.J. is your woman.
“Why Events Matter” — As Explained by People Who Actually Know What They’re Doing
Look, events aren’t just about string lights and overpriced cupcakes. Not in the hands of these women. Events are platforms for visibility, cultural pride, economic opportunity, and community uplift.
In other words: while you’re still fumbling with your RSVP for that office potluck, these women are building infrastructure. They’re curating safe, joyful, empowering spaces for Black communities in a city that — like so many others — has a long history of systemic neglect.
Let’s not get it twisted. St. Paul doesn’t always roll out the red carpet for Black women running things. These ladies are often operating in a space that barely acknowledges them — and still, they shine.
They’re creating seats at the table. Scratch that. They’re building the damn table, decorating the table, and hosting the hottest dinner party St. Paul has ever seen — and if you’re lucky, they’ll let you bring a casserole.
Event Planning Is a Blood Sport — And These Women Are Champions
If you think event planning is glamorous, you’ve clearly never tried to plug in 37 extension cords to one generator while arguing with a wedding DJ who thinks “Return of the Mac” is still a banger (it’s not — stop it).
You’ve never watched a storm roll in 15 minutes before showtime. You’ve never dealt with a “VIP” who thinks they’re doing you a favor by showing up late and demanding a bottle of Hennessy and a personal security detail.
But these women? They’ve seen it all — and they still show up smiling. Why? Because they’re not doing it for the ego. They’re doing it for the culture. For the people. For the neighborhoods that have been told “no” a thousand times. And now? Now, those neighborhoods are hosting art fairs, pop-ups, community panels, and job expos — all because these women said yes.
Let’s Talk About Visibility (And the Utter Lack Thereof)
The event world — like every other industry run by people who own six Patagonia vests and say “Let’s circle back” unironically — is not exactly welcoming to Black women. You don’t get grant money by smiling nicely. You don’t book vendors by whispering. You get it by showing up again and again, even after being ghosted by city council members, shuffled off of conference calls, and patronized by corporations who think “diversity” is just a tab on the budget spreadsheet.
So when FOX 9 does a rare spotlight on women like Charnel, Latasha, and A.J., it’s more than just a feel-good fluff piece. It’s a reminder that some of the most powerful changemakers in the Twin Cities aren’t holding office — they’re holding clipboards.
The Wild World of Community Engagement: Sponsored by Grit and Sheer Willpower
Let’s say you want to host a Juneteenth celebration in St. Paul. You’ll need permits, porta-potties, peacekeepers, performers, and popcorn. You’ll need insurance policies, sound engineers, community elders, and a backup generator for when the city’s power grid inevitably does what it does best — fail.
And who handles that? These women.
They’re not waiting around for a knight in shining armor or a grant from the city’s Department of Let’s Pretend to Care. They get. it. done.
They make it work with donations, hustle, and a network of community warriors who are just as committed to making sure every child knows their history, every vendor makes their money, and every grandparent can sit in a shaded tent and smile because something beautiful is happening in their neighborhood.
Dear Minnesota: You Better Appreciate These Women Before They Get Snatched Up by a Coastal City
Listen, Minneapolis and St. Paul are lucky. Not every city has women like this — people who care, show up, build bridges, and throw banger events with meaning. If you’re reading this and you’re a local business, sponsor, politician, or anyone with a checkbook — support them. Stop acting like community engagement is a side hustle and start treating it like the cornerstone of a better city.
Because trust me — if Charnel, Latasha, and A.J. decide to take their talents to Atlanta, Chicago, or L.A., St. Paul will go back to hosting sad farmers markets with one beet vendor and a guy playing covers of Nickelback songs on an out-of-tune guitar.
Final Thoughts: Event Planning Is the New Revolution (But Make It Fabulous)
Let’s be crystal clear: these women aren’t just putting on events. They’re staging revolutions — with paper lanterns and portable sound systems. They’re creating microcosms of what St. Paul could be if people invested in people — especially Black women who are constantly doing the most with the least.
So the next time you’re sipping lemonade at an outdoor event, bopping to a local jazz trio, or watching a kid get their first face paint, know this: it didn’t just happen. It was planned. Perfectly. And chances are, these three women were behind it.
Now, pass the cupcakes, tip your planner, and say thank you — loudly. Because it’s about time we gave Black women the credit they deserve, not just for building community, but for doing it with style, soul, and a damn good run-of-show document.
