The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in beloved community, meaning that justice cannot be for a select group of people it must be or all people. The radical organizing work, trauma-informed care and the sacred happenings at Glide seek to bring us ever closer to King’s dream of beloved community.  Each year as we honor the legacy of a great pastor and bold advocate, we renew our dedication to active nonviolence, gain inspiration for the work ahead and march with those who share our goals.

This year, in partnership with Poster House, Glide Memorial Church will be celebrating using historic posters used to protest black violence.  You can learn more about these historic signs at Poster House’s exhibit A Century of Posters Protesting Black Violence.  Click on the posters below if you would like to print them.

Above you will see that we created a new poster featuring high heels, to honor the brave justice warriors who have marched for reproductive rights or thrown high heels demanding LGBTQ rights.  We also included a blank poster that you can print and write your own message on, so we can celebrate your personal fabulousness in our beloved community.  You are welcome to download and print any of these posters as you celebrate MLK.  If you do, please tag @glidechurch on your social posts so we like and share your posts.

On Friday January 13^th, we will be at an event in partnership with NORCAL MLK and the San Francisco Human Rights Commission called Freedom, Justice and Beloved Community: A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Glide Ensemble will be singing and Minster Marvin K. White will be speaking at this event.  This event is now sold out.

At our Sunday Celebrations (9 and 11 am) on January 15^th the Glide Ensemble will be marching in with our protest signs and housing advocate Kevin Skipper (pictured on the right) will be speaking.  Since being introduced to restorative practices in 2016, he has been exploring the places where harm and real estate intersect within our communities. He believes the path towards creating a path toward reconciliation with our most vulnerable communities is by “deep heart” therapy.

Then on Monday January 16^th we will be marching in the  annual MLK March here in SF. The 1.5-mile journey crosses the Lefty O’Doul Bridge and stops at Willie Mays Plaza at Oracle Park to commemorate the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, a symbol of violence and victory in the civil rights movement. Then, Minister Marvin K. White will be speaking at the presentation at Yerba Buena Gardens.

At the conclusion of the march, in partnership with the San Francisco Interfaith Council, an interfaith commemoration will bring together the region’s faith leaders to commemorate the vision of Dr. King and to lead participants in a spiritual reflection of his message.  Minister Marvin K. White will be speaking at this event.

Our contingent will meet at Caltrans in the courtyard at 9 am. We’ll gather and stay warm ahead of the march at 11. Wear your Glide Gear, bring signs, and let’s commemorate Glide Memorial Church’s enduring racial and social justice work. The march begins at 11 am and participants are encouraged to arrive early. For more information, contact the Church’s Communication Specialist, Megan Rohrer at mrohrer@glide.org.  All are welcome to join us.  You can RSVP here.

You can also honor MLK’s legacy, by listening to his speeches.  We have two playlists to help inspire you.  The first is a playlist of MLK’s speeches.  The second is a playlist of House Music.   We hope they will inspire you to boldly work for justice in the world and make King’s dream a reality.

Join us in celebration.  Join us in the streets.  Join us at the Herbst theatre.  Join us in beloved community.