Coming Back Home: Celebrating 60 Years of Sabathani 

Sunshine. Music. Dancing. Laughter. Neighbors reconnecting and new connections being made. 

On Saturday, August 8, an estimated 800+ people came together at Sabathani Community Center for Coming Back Home: Sabathani’s 60th Anniversary Block Party — and the Heart of South Minneapolis was truly alive. 

Our parking lot and the surrounding neighborhood filled with music, food, family activities, local businesses, community resources, and generations of people celebrating together. The day was joyful and peaceful, and everywhere you looked, you could feel the spirit of the Southside. 

Most importantly, it was a celebration created with the community. 

If you joined us in any capacity — as an attendee, volunteer, performer, vendor, exhibitor, partner, sponsor, or staff member — thank you. You made this a day for the books. 

And we want to hear from you. If you attended the Block Party, please take a few minutes to share your feedback here. Everyone who completes the survey by Sunday, August 23 will be entered into a drawing to win one of nine Blue Ribbon Bargain Books for the Minnesota State Fair.

Scroll on for highlights from the day and slideshow of photos by Chris Holden. 

Honoring the Women Who Helped Shape Our Community

Before the music began on our main stage, the celebration started where it belonged: in the neighborhood. 

Community members gathered at 37th Street and 4th Avenue for a recognition march honoring the lives and legacies of Clarissa Walker and Launa Q. Newman, two extraordinary women whose leadership helped shape South Minneapolis.  

Their daughters, Neva Walker and Tracey Williams-Dillard, spoke about their mothers alongside family, friends, and community members before the group made a joyful — and at times tearful — procession down 37th Street. 

Watch the Community Recognition March here →

A special shout-out to the young drummers of Heart & Soul Drum Academy, who helped lead the way, and thank you to the praise dancer who brought even more spirit to the march. 

The Southside Takes the Stage

Back at Sabathani, Maya Marchelle kept the celebration moving as our vibrant host, with DJ Enferno adding fun grooves throughout the day. 

The stage showcased an incredible lineup of homegrown talent: Brother Ra, Jamela Pettiford, Johnnie Brown, and the legendary Sounds of Blackness. 

And there was one more surprise. 

As Sounds of Blackness brought the afternoon to a rousing close, Minnesota music legends Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis made a special appearance — an unforgettable ending to a day celebrating the extraordinary talent, history, and culture that has grown from our own community. 

Celebrating the People Who Built the Southside

The day also gave us an opportunity to reflect on why we were gathered. 

Sabathani President & CEO Scott Redd, former Minneapolis City Council President Andrea Jenkins, Sabathani board member Rev. Ian Bethel, and former Minnesota State Representative Neva Walker were among those who spoke during the celebration. 

Jenkins reflected on the rich history surrounding Sabathani and the importance of lifting up the people whose leadership has shaped this community, particularly as plans move forward for a new pocket park at 38th Street and 4th Avenue that will further honor that legacy. 

“We have so much history, love and leadership in our community, and we need to lift it up.” 

She reminded us of the generations of leaders who have made South Minneapolis what it is today, including Clarissa Walker and Launa Q. Newman, as well as leaders such as Bill English, Neva Walker, and Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley. 

That history isn’t simply something behind us. It’s something we continue to build upon. 

Community Supporting Community

Throughout the parking lot, dozens of local businesses, artisans, nonprofits, public agencies, and community organizations shared their work. 

There was voter registration. Community resources. Local art, clothing, jewelry, books, and other goods. Conversations between neighbors and organizations that might become lasting connections. 

And people shopped local. In fact, some of our vendors told us they had sold out within the first few hours. 

That’s what community looks like: showing up, making connections, sharing resources, and investing in one another. 

Families enjoyed games, face painting, bounce houses, prize drawings, and a major back-to-school giveaway. Thanks to the Greater Twin Cities United Way Action Day program, Sabathani distributed more than 200 backpacks filled with school supplies to local students, with additional backpacks available through community partners during the event. 

And there was plenty to eat. A variety of local food trucks served everything from barbecue and hibachi to grilled cheese and icy treats throughout the afternoon. 

Because you can’t turn 60 without something sweet, we also brought out birthday cookies for the community — including 100 vegan cookies from Vegan East. Thank you for helping us make sure there was a plant-based option at the party! 

It Takes a Community

A celebration of this size doesn’t happen without a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes. 

Our deepest thanks go to the Sabathani staff and volunteers who planned, set up, staffed tables, welcomed guests, distributed backpacks, cleaned up, solved problems, and did countless other things throughout the day.

Special thanks to OMG Media for providing five Minnesota State Fair Family Fun Packs for our prize drawings, giving five lucky families even more to celebrate!

Special thanks to Neva Walker and Tracey Williams-Dillard for partnering with Sabathani to bring this celebration to life, and to all of the performers, speakers, vendors, exhibitors, community partners, and volunteers who contributed their time and talents. 

And thank you to our generous sponsors: 

CenterPoint Energy • Xcel Energy • Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) • Minneapolis Foundation • IME Consulting • Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder • Seward Community Co-op • Greiling Tree Service 

Your support helped make this celebration possible. 

Thank You, South Minneapolis

Sabathani was founded in 1966 by members of Sabathani Baptist Church and concerned community residents who saw needs in their neighborhood and came together to respond. 

Sixty years later, that spirit is still here. 

It was there in the march down 37th Street. In the young drummers leading the procession. In neighbors dancing together in the parking lot. In local entrepreneurs selling their work. In organizations connecting people with resources. In families enjoying the afternoon together. In generations gathering to remember those who came before us — and celebrating what’s still to come. 

During the celebration, Neva Walker offered another invitation to come back home: support Sabathani and help sustain this work for the generations ahead. 

Maybe Sabathani was part of your life in 1971. Consider a recurring gift of $19.71 a month — or a one-time gift of $197.10. Choose a year or an amount that holds meaning for you. Or simply give whatever works for you. 

What matters is continuing the tradition that has sustained Sabathani for 60 years: community investing in community.

Support Sabathani → 

Sixty years brought us here. Thank you for coming back home. ❤️🖤💚 

And keep coming back. 

See the Celebration

Photos by Holden Photos:

Photos by Colleen Velo Photography:

Were You There? We Want to Hear From You!

If you attended the Block Party as a guest, volunteer, vendor, exhibitor, performer, or partner, we’d love your feedback. Your input will help us learn from this year’s celebration and make future Sabathani events even better. 

Complete our short Block Party survey →

As a thank-you, everyone who completes the survey by Sunday, August 23 will be entered into a drawing to win one of nine Blue Ribbon Bargain Books for the Minnesota State Fair.