Five Years Later: Honoring George Floyd and the Heart of South Minneapolis

Five years ago this weekend, George Floyd was murdered at 38th and Chicago – just blocks from Sabathani Community Center. That tragic moment ignited a communal grief that rippled throughout South Minneapolis and the nation. But for our community, it was also deeply personal, a physical and emotional trauma felt in our bones, our homes, our streets.  

We call Sabathani the Heart of South Minneapolis, and in the aftermath of that heartbreak, the heart has not only endured but grown stronger. We continue to rise. We continue to remember. 

Over the past three years, Sabathani has expanded and deepened our work to meet the needs of our neighbors. Our longstanding food, clothing, senior, youth, and workforce programs remain strong, and we’ve grown into new areas: housing, health, and violence prevention. As a Black-founded and led organization, much of our work centers the Black community – a community long redlined, overpoliced, and underserved, addressing disparities rooted in generations of systemic injustice. 

And yet, we are a community of strength. Of resilience. Of joy. Of power. 

We are community serving community. Now, as always, we rise in our brilliance. 

The anniversary of George Floyd’s murder reminds us why we do this work. As Dr. King said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” We believe in that arc, and we know that bending it takes commitment, courage, and collective care. 

This work is far from finished. In many ways, the fight for justice continues in new and urgent forms, met with pushback that is both visible and visceral. But through it all, we remain rooted in our purpose. 

Community is at the heart – we are the heart – and we invite you to join us this weekend in community: to reflect, to gather, to breathe. The Rise & Remember Festival will be taking place throughout the weekend at George Floyd Square, offering opportunities to honor, heal, and connect. Click here for the full schedule.  

In addition, on Saturday, May 24, Sabathani is hosting a Black Family Wellness Healing Circle led by Carmen Lewis as part of our Roots program. This gathering offers a space for collective healing and restoration. Learn more and sign up here. 

Recently, the McKnight Foundation invited local organizations to reflect on the past five years. Our President & CEO, Scott Redd, shared this: 

“Sabathani has adapted the philosophy “Stronger Together,” from the aftermath of 2020. We know we can’t do this work alone, and we don’t have to. We learned that we could lean on the community for answers to solving the difficulties we face. We see our community as an asset, not a liability! … Fostering resilience and positive change in underinvested and vulnerable communities takes a layered, long-term approach that centers on equity, empowerment, and trust. This starts with seeing communities like ours as assets. Working with the community to develop community-led vision. Honoring the lived experiences and cultural knowledge brought forth from the community. Investment in health and well-being, economic prosperity, and developing strategies that focus on critical needs.”
Read the full article on McKnight’s website. 

That is the work we carry forward every day. 

So, as we remember May 25, 2020 – with all the sorrow, anger, and fire it stirred in us – we also hold onto our strength, our hope, and above all: our community. We come together to lift one another up. To celebrate. To live.
 

To breathe. 

Photo: A sign at George Floyd Square, Summer 2020.
“All that you touch, you change… All that you change, changes you.” —Octavia Butler
This quote, painted on cardboard, became part of the living memorial at George Floyd Square.