Sabathani Community Center’s block party celebrates 60 years of service

On Saturday, South Minneapolis’ Sabathani Community Center rang in its 60th anniversary with a block party full of community members eager to celebrate an organization that has served them and their families. Attendees reflected on the role Sabathani has played in their lives, through the programming it provides and the community space it creates.

“My mom used to call it the basic supports that people need to survive,” said Neva Walker, whose mother, Clarissa Walker, worked at Sabathani for decades. “Now, Sabathani is continuing that and growing it to make sure that the needs of today are being met.”

The organization offers a wide variety of programs, including a food shelf, employment center, after-school programs, open gym time and senior care. Sabathani’s current president and CEO, Scott Redd, describes the organization as being unapologetically Black while providing services to everyone, according to Neva Walker.

“This was a predominantly Black neighborhood growing up,” Neva Walker said. “For us to know that it’s still centering Blackness, whilst serving everyone else, is so important.”

Rooted in South Minneapolis Childhoods

Many in attendance grew up near Sabathani, and the organization formed a part of their childhoods.

“It was everything,” Neva Walker said of the organization. “I played basketball. I went on field trips. I tutored adults here, and children…I got grounded in the building a lot, and so my friends had to come up here to see me.”

“This is the community that definitely supported me, cared for me, loved me, let me make mistakes, corrected me when needed,” she continued. “But it was just love.”

The theme of the block party was “Coming Back Home,” which rang true for many attendees. Several said they were there to give back to Sabathani because it has been there for them throughout their lives.

Fayette Hayes was born and raised in Minneapolis, as were younger generations of her family. Hayes went to Sabathani when she was younger, brought her grandkids there for school when they were little, and now attends the organization’s senior program. She said she would not miss the celebration for the world.

Kenneth Holt attended Sabathani as a kid, and his older siblings attended Bryant Junior High School, where Sabathani is now located. He said he misses the sense of community he felt growing up and hopes events like the block party can help him return to what he’s used to.

“There are so many of us that grew up around Sabathani and don’t live in the neighborhood anymore,” Neva Walker said. “Sabathani is still ours. To remember that, we actually have to feed it, to support it, to see it. … It raised us. But if you don’t come back and curate it, it will go away.”

Honoring Clarissa Walker and Launa Q. Newman

“When I look back at my journey with the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, my mind goes back to being 8 years old, sitting beside my grandmother, Launa Q. Newman, running the old addressograph machine under her watchful eye,” Williams-Dillard said. “Back then, I thought I was just helping out. I didn’t realize she was instilling in me the foundation for my work ethic and the deep love for our community.”

Williams-Dillard described her grandmother as more than a publisher.

“My grandmother wasn’t just a publisher; she was a pillar,” she said. “When she stepped up to lead the paper, there were some that didn’t think this was a job for a woman. She proved them wrong. And in doing so, she carried a vital mantle: to ensure the voice of Black Minnesota was heard, respected and recorded with total integrity.”

Williams-Dillard said her grandmother taught her that the paper is more than a publication.

“She showed me what it means to lead with strength and resilience, teaching me that this paper is far more than ink on newsprint,” Williams-Dillard said. “It is a lifeline, a historical record of our achievements, and a voice for our community when no one else was listening.”

Newman died in 2009, but Williams-Dillard said her influence remains present in MSR’s daily work.

“Though she is no longer with us, her spirit remains in everything we do,” Williams-Dillard said. “Whenever we hit a deadline, launch a community effort, or uplift Black stories across Minnesota, I feel her presence. I am forever grateful for her wisdom, love and legacy.”

Williams-Dillard closed her remarks by addressing her grandmother directly.

“Thank you, Grandma, for showing me the way forward and teaching me what it means to serve with heart,” she said. “And congratulations on this tremendous honor, Launa Q. Newman Way.”

Building Future Capacity

The organization is continuing to develop its offerings to best serve community needs. For instance, it is raising money for a youth housing program.

Sabathani was founded in 1966 by community members at Sabathani Baptist Church, now Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. The church and the community center were located across the street from each other until 2007 and still work collaboratively, according to Greater Friendship Senior Pastor B. Charvez Russell.

At the block party, participants browsed tables from organizations such as MN POC PRIDE and the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, and shopped at booths from vendors such as Just Shea and Lion’s Historian Press. They lined up outside food trucks and gathered to listen to music from DJs and bands.

The three-time Grammy-winning band Sounds of Blackness, which started at Macalester College in the Twin Cities, headlined the event. The block party also featured a back-to-school backpack giveaway, as well as giveaways for State Fair tickets.

Ella Stern is a contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. She welcomes reader responses at erstern10@gmail.com.