This past Sunday, Michael Tubbs, the former Mayor of Stockon, strode onto the stage at Glide Memorial Church in a light purple suit and gleaming white shirt. He came to Glide to deliver the final sermon in a month packed with speakers, music, and events to commemorate Black History and Black Futures. 

His words brought home the urgency of the political moment we are living through. And for the hundreds of people listening to him at the 9am and 11am Celebrations, he issued a clear mandate to fight off complacency in a world that feels like it’s falling apart.

“When the status quo isn’t working, it is the peoples’ responsibility to flip the table. For people of faith, we have the model in Jesus who flipped the table on a corrupt governor and system. Today, we are called to flip the table. If it’s poverty, flip it. If it’s racism, flip it. If it’s homophobia, flip it. More is required when the stakes are higher!”

He echoed the words of Dr. Gina Fromer, our President & CEO, who said, “There is no history without Black history. We must keep the freedoms we have earned and demand even more.” 

And he demonstrated in real time why State Assemblymember Matt Haney described him as a fighter for the ages. “When Michael faced the biggest challenges of his life, he never ran away. He ran towards big problems to solve them. We need him and his tenacity now more than ever.”

Watch and listen to Michael’s sermon on GLIDE’s Facebook channel and join all of us at GLIDE in flipping the tables on structures and systems that stand in the way of a more just and equal world.