Earth Day tour brings Sen. Smith and Rep. Ilhan Omar to Sabathani
Something big happened Monday, April 22, at Sabathani Community Center—big enough to bring two of the state’s congressional members to the neighborhood center, which has provided services to the community since 1966.
Sen. Tina Smith and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar were on hand to celebrate the center’s sustainability progress and cutting-edge green initiatives, as plans call for it to be powered by solar-arrayed rooftops and microgrids. It will also draw energy from a renewable energy geothermal heat pump system, making the nearly century-old building energy-efficient and self-sustainable.
Precisely, what is geothermal energy? The U.S. Energy Information Administration explains that thermal energy is extracted from the Earth’s crust. It combines energy from the planet’s formation and radiative decay. Unlike wind and solar energy, geothermal plants produce power at a constant rate without regard to weather conditions. The geothermal system would replace the building’s 50-year-old boilers, Thelma and Louise.
Scott Redd, Sabathani’s executive director, basked in the Earth Day meeting and acknowledgment of the center’s commitment to sustainability and green initiatives.
“This support says not only to me but also to this community that it recognizes that this is a resilient community that needs to be heard and noticed for its efforts for equitable justice and sustainability, especially where the environment is concerned,” Redd said. “It means that they are listening to us and converting what they hear into action.”
More specific to what environment and sustainability look like in the community, Redd continued, “For one, it looks like access to clean, green jobs. The African American community has often not had access to or awareness of these jobs and positions. As we talk about sustainable jobs, these are great family-sustainable jobs that pay 70-80k, so people can have a piece of the American reality, not the American dream.
“Second,” Redd added, “what it means is that this community has some of the highest asthma rates in Minnesota, and we will now be able to improve in that area while eliminating some of the area’s pollution, starting with our building. I think we should be the example our community should see, taking the lead in cleaner air and other green sustainability areas.
“We’ve been an integral part of making our community a desirable place again, so it’s only right that we lead the charge by staying in this community and doing our part to make it safer for everyone here,” Redd continued. “We must ensure that our kids and families are doing well in every aspect, especially the environment.”
Rep. Omar spoke about the importance and her commitment to the large community energy project. “Sabathani proves that our transition to renewable energy can uplift workers and underserved communities rather than leaving them behind. As we build a green economy, we must prioritize investments that directly benefit the Black, brown, and Indigenous neighborhoods too often sacrificed to polluters’ greed,” she stated.
She added, “That’s why I am proud to have secured $500,000 in Community Project Funding to replace their rooftop that is now solar-ready. Our office also worked to advance funding to build the geothermal system, which was partially funded through the American Rescue Plan and will help make it a sustainable hand for future generations. Sen. Smith and I will keep fighting for initiatives like those at Sabathani, where sustainability and environmental justice go hand-in-hand.”
Sen. Smith also spoke about the moment’s significance and community leaders like Scott Redd: “Black leaders have long been on the front lines of addressing the most pressing issues we face, including the climate emergency and environmental justice. The Sabathani Community Center is the beating heart of South Minneapolis, and they’ve been on a mission to make their organization and community greener.
“From updating their building lighting to LED, partnering with Xcel to become a Resilience Hub for emergency outages, replacing boilers with energy-efficient geothermal systems, to securing federal funding to make their rooftop solar-ready, they’re leading the way toward a more sustainable and equitable future. This is exactly the type of work we should celebrate on Earth Day,” Sen. Smith explained.
Smith concluded, saying, “Black communities and other communities of color have borne the brunt of environmental injustice for far too long. Supporting projects like the one to replace the rooftop at the Sabathani Community Center so that it’s solar-ready is one way the federal government can partner in addressing environmental injustices.”
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