Priya David Clemens, the journalist hosting Holiday Jam, opened with a story of covering GLIDE’s Thanksgiving back when she was a “baby reporter.” After she raced around doing the interviews, one of GLIDE’s Meal staff offered her a free meal. “I was hungry and cold,” said Priya, “and on a reporter’s salary you never turn down a free meal!”
When the baby reporter wrapped her footage with, “reporting live from San Francisco,” a man came up to her and said, “You’re not just reporting from San Francisco! You’re reporting from the Tenderloin. And there ain’t nothing tender about the Tenderloin.” Her response struck at the very core of GLIDE’s mission. “That man was so wrong,” Priya said. “I had just been in the tender, beating heart of the Tenderloin– that is GLIDE!”
Check out the full photo album of the night.
Holiday Jam, covered this year by the San Francisco Chronicle, was a celebration of GLIDE’s unique qualities– not only tenderness, kindness, and love– but soul and culture, funk and fun, jazz and justice. Dominique Hammon’s edgy beats on the electric violin roused the crowd to merriment as they filtered in, enjoying treats like GLIDE’s famous fried chicken.
The Change Band and the Glide Ensemble, dressed in their most festive and glittering clothing, got the crowd on their feet, singing and swaying. Then Miles Turk, (son of Glide Ensemble member, Cheryl Serame-Turk and longtime Director of Music at Glide, the late John F. Turk) performed onstage with Follow the Music, melting hearts with a version of The Beatle’s Blackbird.
Dr. Gina Fromer, GLIDE President & CEO, roused the crowd with talk of GLIDE’s mission. “Last year, I made a promise that when injustice got loud, we got louder,” she said, “We have kept that promise.”
When she shared how Cecil Williams Community Ambassadors saved lives from overdoses, someone enthusiastically yelled, “Hell yeah!” from the balcony. (GLIDE is the kind of church where “Hell yeah,” is a form of, “Amen.”)
GLIDE is a place where we translate love into action. “A healthy GLIDE is a healthy San Francisco. And a healthy San Francisco can lead a nation that is hurting and ready for renewal,” Dr. Gina said to the audience, “But that depends on you. You are the future of GLIDE. Your actions tonight will write my next year’s speech.”
Mary Glide (chairman of GLIDE’s board and great-great-grandaughter of Lizzie Glide, the builder of Glide Memorial Church) presented the inaugural Lizzie Glide Spirit Award to Joan Baez. She praised Joan Baez for a lifetime of justice work– from Vietnam War protests to singing at the No Kings march. “For more than 60 years, Joan has used her remarkable voice to inspire and mobilize people towards justice… Whenever justice is at stake, Joan shows up,” Mary Glide said.
Joan then led the room in a spontaneous performance of the spiritual, “Wade in the Water,” a Glide Memorial Church classic, with an amazing liberatory history. Joan then offered these words of inspiration to the crowd: “We may not be able to turn back the tide, but we can sure save some fishes,” she said. “And until the tide is able to turn, people will need looking after, and GLIDE will look after them.”
State Senator Scott Weiner addressed the crowd with enthusiastic words of support and solidarity: “With GLIDE’s leadership and San Francisco’s leadership, we’re going to make sure everyone has healthcare and food, because that’s how we roll. Love will conquer hate!” And we played a video of support sent by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi: “In the Tenderloin and beyond, GLIDE is showing up, serving hundreds of extra meals a day, and reminding us that compassion is stronger than any shutdown.”
Minister Marvin K. White reminded us of the spiritual questions of our day: “Do we reflect love or do we reflect fear? Do we reflect mercy, or do we reflect empire? Don’t let them tell you who you are or overwrite who God made you to be…. Let us do together what fear says cannot be done alone!”
Ruby Ibarra followed in the theme of social justice with an electrifying multilingual rap, as she explained to the audience that she sings about reclaiming power. “I see a room full of changemakers who are reclaiming power with me,” she told the audience, before singing the song “Someday,” which is about maintaining hope in the face of anti-immigrant racism.
Riveting video testimony from GLIDE’s Case Manager Angela Coleman followed as she shared her story about finding recovery at GLIDE and fighting against poverty on the front lines (Angela connects people to rental assistance, preventing homelessness).
A festive auction brought in many generous donations towards GLIDE’s mission– and then, the legendary El DeBarge got the audience singing and dancing alongside him. He even brought up a member of the audience to waltz with him on stage.
All of us at GLIDE are wishing you a joyous and merry holiday season. If you missed this epic concert and would like to support GLIDE’s work it will soon be available for streaming on GLIDE’s website, you can give below.