Sabathani Community Center will begin putting together a storytelling art exhibit about the history of Sabathani and the people who were key in creating the organization. Sabathani was formed in 1966 by South Minneapolis residents and members of Sabathani Baptist Church to provide structured activities for African American youths. The exhibit will also feature people with roots in Sabathani’s South Minneapolis community who made significant achievements in politics, entertainment, medicine, athletics, education and business. The purpose of the exhibit is to document and preserve the history of a grassroots effort initially focused around neighborhood kids that has advanced into a major institution known throughout the Twin Cities and today serves nearly 30,000 people a year with a broad range of needs.
The work of the exhibit will be done by Former Judge LaJune Lange, president of the LaJune Thomas Lange International Leadership Institute, and Anika Robbins of Anika and Friends. Lange and Robbins will inventory present artwork throughout Sabathani, conduct interviews for an oral history, and collect news articles and historical writings. Both women have an extensive background in fine arts, and in preparation for this project, visited the Dusable Museum of African American History in Chicago and met with Curator Charles Bethea. Funds for the exhibit were granted from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund of the Minnesota Humanities Center in cooperation with the Council on Black Minnesotans. A launch event will be scheduled to formally announce the project and the significance of Sabathani’s legacy and the vision of the founders.
If you are interested in providing information for the project, please contact Pamela Young, Development and Communications Manager, Sabathani, 612-821-2308 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
