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GLIDE CENTER FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

Building a movement based on unconditional love towards a more just and equitable world in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

GLIDE’s Center for Social Justice in San Francisco works to build a social justice movement to influence public policy on poverty, food insecurity, housing, discrimination, racial justice and human rights.

 

We do this through grassroots organizing, community education and engagement, thought leadership, and policy development. We convene community members and policymakers to amplify the voices of the community. In addition, we mobilize GLIDE clients, congregants, volunteers, supporters, and neighbors to become agents of change.

We invite you to join GLIDE and help advance racial and social justice for all.

Sign up for regular communications from our advocacy team to hear about opportunities to get involved. Together we can create a more just and equitable world.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Our Work

INSPIRE
We believe in a world that is fair, loving, and just.
TRANSFORM
We believe that we all have the power to be our best selves.
TAKE ACTION

We mobilize the San Francisco Bay Area community to advocate and build a movement to influence public policy. Join GLIDE and become a Justice Warrior.

CREATE CHANGE
We amplify community voices and implement better policy, legislation, and investments in life-affirming resources.

Center for Social Justice Virtual Events

Virtual Events

Keep up with our stories and justice in the news

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Keep track of our upcoming meetings, events and workshops

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Center for Social Justice Staff

Our organization is lead by a diverse cross-section of dedicated individuals from and for the community.

Holly Joshi, Ed.D

Director of the
Center for Social Justice

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Dr. Holly Joshi
Dr. Joshi joins Glide as the new Director of the Center for Social Justice. She is a Bay Area native and has been a community servant and leader in social justice and systems change work for twenty years. Dr. Joshi has worked on issues of racial and gender justice, youth and community development, and criminal justice reform through executive leadership positions with government, non-profit, and private, social impact organizations. A nationally recognized expert on gender-based violence prevention and intervention, she served as the executive director for MISSSEY, a direct service organization providing crisis intervention, long-term supports, and advocacy for trafficked youth. Dr. Joshi served on then Attorney General Kamala Harris’ Task Force on Human Trafficking and Task Force on 21st Century Policing and has worked to implement survivor-centered policy reform and legislation at the local and state level. Before coming to Glide, she worked as the Director of Racial Justice and Systems Change at Bright Research Group, a woman of color owned and operated research, evaluation, strategy, and design firm. While there, she led participatory action research, qualitative inquiry, and capacity-building projects that centered the voices of marginalized communities, and supported government, non-profit, and philanthropic leaders to think deeply and act strategically for justice. Dr. Joshi holds a B.A. in criminal justice, a master’s degree in leadership for social justice, and a doctorate in educational leadership. Her work has been featured in the Bay Area local press, on MSNBC, Anderson Cooper, and in Essence Magazine. Away from work she enjoys spending time with her partner, kids, and French bulldog, taking in the spicy foods and beauty of the Bay, and hiking, biking, and running.

Isoke Femi

Transformational Group Facilitator

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Isoke Femi
Isoke holds the title of Maven of Transformative Learning at GLIDE’s Center for Social Justice and leads its summer internship program, Emerging Leaders. A co-founder and director of the Todos Institute, Isoke co-authored “No Boundaries”, a manual for intercultural alliance–building, and developed “Leading With Soul”, a curriculum for cultural leadership. For over 25 years, Isoke has worked with hundreds of groups throughout the United States, supporting them to appreciate and engage difference. In her work, Isoke draws on indigenous African concepts – such as soul force, personalism, and vitalism – as ways of engaging and integrating learning. She has devoted her life to the work of unlearning oppression and illuminating power at the intersection of spirit and culture. Please reach out with any questions or comments: ifemi@glide.org

Rabbi Michael Lezak

Social Justice Director

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Rabbi Michael Lezak
Rabbi Michael Lezak leads justice pilgrimages to Alabama and into the Tenderloin, empowering leaders to see the through-line from slavery to mass incarceration and mass poverty, ultimately summoning these leaders to moral responsibility and righteous action. He spearheads groundbreaking work with law enforcement and district attorneys from around the country to help them understand the challenges faced by people living in extreme poverty. He is on the board of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. Please reach out with any questions or comments: mlezak@glide.org

Erick Arguello

Advocacy Manager

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Erick Arguello
Erick Arguello is the Advocacy Manager under the Center for Social Justice. He is responsible in building our Justice Warrior advocacy arm to lift and move GLIDES Policy Agenda. Erick’s work spans over 25 years advocating to preserve and protect the Missions Latinx Cultural Assets and Latinx immigrant community. He is a Founder and President of Calle 24 Latino Cultural District. There are now 8 cultural districts throughout San Francisco aimed to preserving San Francisco’s cultural diversity. He is the recipient of the KQED Latino Heritage Month Local Hero Award 2011, 2014 Cesar E. Chavez Legacy Award, San Francisco Latino Heritage Award 2014, LGBTQ Individual Community Grand Marshall 2008, and the Instituto Familiar De La Raza, Ollin Rodrigo Reyes Award 2003. Please reach out with any questions or comments: earguello@glide.org

Eleana Binder

Policy Associate

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Eleana Binder
Eleana Binder is the Policy Associate for the Center for Social Justice. Before joining GLIDE, she worked in eviction prevention at the Homeless Advocacy Project, as well as in nonprofit and local government settings in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Sacramento. Eleana’s history with GLIDE began years ago when she participated in the Emerging Leaders Internship program, and she is so happy to have returned. Please reach out with any questions or comments: ebinder@glide.org

Hannah Van Aelstyn

Social Justice Project Coordinator

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Hannah Van Aelstyn
Hannah van Aelstyn (she/her/hers) serves as CSJ’s Project Coordinator, and is responsible for supporting the Center for Social Justice in implementing its policy, advocacy, and transformative learning programs. She holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Theology from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. While there, she helped establish and manage a 106-member housing cooperative that challenged the housing affordability crisis and has provided startup capital for other housing cooperative projects in the U.K., acting as a model for systemic change. She has enjoyed returning to her native San Francisco and putting her love of the city and its people into action by working at GLIDE, as well as continuously learning from GLIDE’s and the Center for Social Justice’s powerful teachers and community. Please reach out with any questions or comments: hvanaelstyn@glide.org

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