BREAKING: Minneapolis Gathers for Urgent Citywide Prayer Service Supporting Somali Community and the Twin Cities

MINNEAPOLIS  - December 4, 2025 - In response to growing concern over recent events affecting families across the Twin Cities, media personality and community advocate Sheletta Brundidge convened a citywide prayer service at noon today at the Brian Coyle Center in Minneapolis. The gathering called on residents to urgently unite in solidarity with the region’s Somali community and all Minnesotans facing hardship.

Presented by ShelettaMakesMeLaugh.com and titled “A Citywide Prayer Service for Our Somali Friends & The Twin Cities,” the public event focused on immediate collective prayer. Anchoring the service in Mark 9:29 — “This kind can only come out by prayer” — Brundidge framed the gathering as a necessary and timely spiritual response to challenges confronting families and communities in real time.

A Musical Tribute With Urgent Resonance

Highlighting the service was a performance by acclaimed gospel vocalist Jearlyn Steele, whose decades-long contributions to Minnesota’s artistic and spiritual life added profound weight to the occasion.

Brundidge shared a story that underscored Steele’s significance: at age five, she sang at a church service attended by gospel legend Mahalia Jackson, who reportedly called Steele’s voice “the most beautiful” she had ever heard.

Brundidge emphasized that Steele’s performance today carried both historical and urgent emotional resonance.
“It’s fitting that Jearlyn continues singing those freedom songs while we confront ongoing threats to human rights and community safety,” she said, connecting the moment to Jackson’s performances during the March on Washington alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A Crucial Gathering for Healing and Solidarity

Located at 420 15th Avenue South, the Brian Coyle Center has long been a cornerstone for Somali and East African life in Minneapolis. Today, it became a hub for faith leaders, families, neighbors, and organizers seeking a moment of urgent reflection, healing, and collective grounding.

Brundidge underscored the time-sensitive nature of the prayer service.
“At a moment when our communities face uncertainty and fear, gathering in prayer is not just symbolic — it is an urgent act of connection and strength,” she said.

The announcement stressed inclusivity: “All are welcome.”

Event Details:
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM (noon)
Location: Brian Coyle Center, 420 15th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN

In a city where tensions and challenges continue to mount, Brundidge’s call to gather was a reminder that immediate, collective action through faith and solidarity is needed now more than ever.

MinneapoliMedia