This event features a lineup of talented Bay Area immigrants and BIPOC musicians inspiring us to build solidarity in the face of racism, replacing fear, criminalization, and xenophobia with healing, inclusion, and shared humanity.

The proceeds from the concert will help Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity achieve their end-of-the-year fundraising goal of $100,000 to support immigration advocacy, accompaniment, and leadership development. We can only be as safe as the most vulnerable in our communities. 

You can find more information, including the ticket link, on their website here: Love Over Fear – Benefit Concert! – Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity 

People Get Ready is a 1-day conference for left political movements across California’s Bay Area to discuss analysis, strategy, and our collective fight for our future. The program will include sessions to assess current key threats facing our communities, from authoritarianism and militarism to transphobia and climate change. It will also include conversations on ways to build shared power and align strategies across different sectors of the left in the Bay Area and beyond.

Click here for more information and to register.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. FREEDOM CENTER PRESENTS GEE’S BEND QUILTERS IN LECTURE AND EXHIBITION 

LEADING AMERICAN ARTISTS OF GENERATIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN TRADITION TO SPEAK ABOUT THE ROLE OF CULTURE AND ARTISTIC LEGACY IN PRESERVING DEMOCRACY LECTURE MARCH 4 AT OAKLAND MARRIOTT, EXHIBITION MARCH 3-25 AT JOYCE GORDON GALLERY IN OAKLAND

Oakland, CA —Members of the famed Gee’s Bend Quilters Collective from Gee’s Bend, Alabama, will give a lecture Saturday, March 4, at 7 pm at the Oakland Marriott, accompanied by an exhibition of 30 quilts March 3-25 at the Joyce Gordon Gallery in Oakland. The events are organized by the Oakland- based Martin Luther King Jr Freedom Center in partnership with Peralta Community College District and Joyce Gordon Gallery.

Quilters featured will be Ms. Mary Ann Pettway, Executive Director of the Gee’s Bend Quilters Collective, and Ms. China Pettway and Ms. Julia Pettway. In addition to the lecture and exhibition, the Pettways will give in-school presentations at area high schools discussing the history of quilting and the central role culture plays in preserving and protecting democracy. Admission to the lecture, presented as part of the popular Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series, is free with registration. To reserve your seats for the March 4th lecture, please RSVP by calling 510-434-3988.

Joyce Gordon Gallery is located at 406 14th Street in downtown Oakland, and is open to the public Wednesday through Friday 11 am-6 pm and Saturday 1-4 pm. An exhibition catalog is available. For more information about the Quilters of Gee’s Bend, the lecture and exhibition, visit www.mlkfreedomcenter.org.

Sponsors: Golden State Warriors, IBEW local 595, Northern California Carpenter and Blaisdell's Business Products.

To reserve your seats for the March 4th lecture, please RSVP by calling 510-434-3988.

For more information, click here.

Bayview Senior Services is hosting its 43rd Black Cuisine Event

Family Reunion

March 4th

11am to 6pm

Dr. George W. Davis Senior Center, 1753 Carroll Ave, SF

Food tickets are $35 and include:

• Food venues

• African American Market Place Vendors

• Health & Wellness Activities

• Live Entertainment including: Martin Luther McCoy, Grand Theft, Talk of the Town, Seastrunk Brothers and more.

This is a non-smoking event.

Bayview Senior Services is hosting its 43rd Black Cuisine Event

Family Reunion

March 3rd

1pm to 5pm

Dr. George W. Davis Senior Center, 1753 Carroll Ave, SF

Pre-order online for pick-up at blackcuisine.square.site or call 415-822-1444

Slavery and Liberty at America’s Founding

Tuesday, February 28th at 7 p.m. ET 

Join historian Edward Larson and others for a conversation on Larson’s new book, American Inheritance: Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of a Nation, 1765-1795, exploring the paradox of liberty and slavery in Revolutionary America. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. 

Click here to register.

Panel: Reparations Now! 

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 4 - 6 pm

Koret Auditorium, Main Library

As the movement for African American reparations builds across the nation, we discuss the history of reparations movements and hear from local leaders on how they are working toward solutions to repair the harm done to our Black communities.

Click here for more details.

National Council of Jewish Women San Francisco Diversity and Racial Justice Committee presents:

Police Reform in the Bay Area: Local Efforts & Impact

Now more than ever we are reminded of the critical need for police reform.
At the same time the public is fearful of crime. How do we address police reform in a progressive region such as the Bay Area?
Join us for a lively and thought-provoking panel discussion with Bay Area experts about the efforts toward police reform in an economically and racially diverse area and the types of obstacles blocking systemic change.

Featured speakers:

Chief Susan E. Manheimer (Ret.) 
Formerly of San Mateo and Oakland

John L. Burris
Attorney at Law

Diana Rosenstein
Chief Attorney at San Francisco Department of Police Accountability

Feb 27, 2023 05:30 PM to 07:00PM

Use this link to register.

Workshop: Trauma, Tresses and Truth —Untangling Our Hair

Saturday, Feb. 25, 12 - 3 pm

Fifth Floor Computer Lab, Main Library

This interactive session is a nurturing, intentional space to write and share your natural hair stories led by Lyzette Wanzer the author of Trauma, Tresses, & Truth: Untangling Our Hair Through Personal Narrative. Registration required.

Click here for more details and to register.

Alyssa Cole and Rachel Feige in Conversation

Thursday, Feb. 23,  6 pm

African American Center, Main Library

Author Alyssa Cole and Rachel Fiege, SFPL Librarian, discuss Cole's book When No One Is Watching, our Jan./Feb. On the Same Page book selection.

Click here for more details.

Tune in to this powerful and thought-provoking SpeakOut virtual event featuring legendary scholar and activist Dr. Angela Davis, in conversation with journalist, educator, and author Dr. Stacey Patton, two of the most influential and powerhouse voices of our time. They will share valuable insights and dialogue on how to create a world that is more joyful, just, and human-centered by ushering the ideals of healing, love, and joy as forms of effective resistance. Sliding scale tickets start at $10. All who register will receive a link to watch live or later at their own convenience. ASL interpreted and English captioning provided. 

Click here for more information and to register.

Slavery is America's original sin. And yet, as Frederick Douglass argued, “Abolish slavery tomorrow, and not a sentence or syllable of the Constitution need be altered.” On Feb. 16, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society continues our series on the Constitution with a study of the 13th Amendment: its battle for, impact of, and legacy today. Our featured guest to lead this still important conversation, is award-winning Professor of U.S. History and Law at Duke University, Dr. Thavolia Glymph, an elected Executive Board Member of the Society of American Historians.

During our event, we will explore the economic impact of slavery, both as a Southern institution, but also as a driver of Northern manufacturing; and discuss Lincoln's views on the constitutionality of slavery, the legal basis for the Emancipation Proclamation, and why the 13th Amendment was still necessary even after Lincoln “freed the slaves.” Finally, we will detail the immeasurable impact of the 13th Amendment on African Americans and our society, and why we still grapple with the history of slavery in a nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

The Society's theme for 2023 is Crises & Heroes: How Our Nation Has Long Endured. On February 16, we will highlight the role that the 13th Amendment played in saving such a nation.

Dr. Glymph is Associate Chair of the Duke University Department of History and specializes in southern and nineteenth-century social history. Her recent book, The Women's Fight: The Civil War's Battles for Home, Freedom, and Nation, won the 2021 Beveridge Award as the best English-language book on American history. Her first book, Out of the House of Bondage: The Transformation of the Plantation Household won the 2009 Philip Taft Labor History Book Award. Dr. Glymph is a past President of the Southern Historical Association and a current elected member of the Society of American Historians, the American Antiquarian Society, and the Board of Directors of the Gettysburg Foundation.

Register for this event here

African American Reparations Advisory Committee Meeting

Monday, February 13, 2023

5:30PM

Online

For more information, visit ths SF.Gov site.

Use this link to register.

Activity: Love Letters

Sunday, Feb. 12, 1 - 3 pm

African American Center, Main Library 

Be inspired by the sultry music of Blues and Jazz legends while crafting a love letter to a spouse, family member, friend or yourself. This workshop is open to all ages and all skill levels.

Click here for more details.

SURJ partner Community Ready Corps (CRC) is calling on white allies to move in solidarity by volunteering with CRC Allies and Accomplices for a Day of Service in preparation for the 6th annual Black Solidarity Week. We will put together PPE kits for CRC to hand out in the community. The event will take place outdoors and volunteers are welcome to join for any part of the shift. Join us for as little or as long as you would like; volunteers are not required to stay for the full shift. Bring your friends and please register.
Location: Montclair Park, 6226 Moraga Ave., Oakland

Click here for more information and to register.

Want to take tangible steps to end racial injustice and white supremacy? Join a SURJ Action Hour! This is one way to truly Show Up for Racial Justice—and it's just an hour a week. We meet over Zoom to take concrete steps together: calling elected officials, signing petitions, etc. There are two times to choose from each week. Closed captioning will be available in the main room of Action Hour calls. Please register for these or future dates through February on the SURJ website.

Click here for more information and to register.

Want to take tangible steps to end racial injustice and white supremacy? Join a SURJ Action Hour! This is one way to truly Show Up for Racial Justice—and it's just an hour a week. We meet over Zoom to take concrete steps together: calling elected officials, signing petitions, etc. There are two times to choose from each week. Closed captioning will be available in the main room of Action Hour calls. Please register for these or future dates through February on the SURJ website.

Click here for more information and to register.

The History of the Abolitionist Movement

Thursday, February 9th at 12 p.m. ET

In celebration of Black History Month, the National Constitution Center presents a discussion of the rich history of the abolitionist movement in America with writers and historians Linda Hirshman, author of The Color of Abolition: How a Printer, a Prophet, and a Contessa Moved a Nation, and Manisha Sinha, author of The Slave’s Cause: A History of Abolition. They will explore the abolitionist roots of constitutional change, focusing on key figures including Maria Weston Chapman, Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Tubman, and more. Thomas Donnelly, chief content officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is made possible through the generous support of Citizens and presented in partnership with the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia. 

Click here to register.

What is the role of white people to address extreme racial wealth inequality? Community Ready Corps Allies and Accomplices (CRCAA) is hosting this webinar that calls on white people, and white wealthy people in particular, to examine our responsibility to change this reality. White people hold the vast majority of the world's wealth and power, upholding white supremacy and extreme inequities. We need to look in the mirror and get real with ourselves and each other about what we have, why we have it, and what we are doing with it. 

Click here for more information and to register to attend.

From the streets of Charlottesville to the endless pages of Twitter the spectrum from antisemitism doh whistles to outright violence towards Jews seems to be coming up more and more .

It's easy to point to white supremacist protects chanting "Jews will not replace us!" and shootings at synagogues as proof that we must be on guard against antisemitism.

But then there are incidents like the twitter postings of Ye , Kyrie Irving, and other celebrities and influencers. There's former President Trump dining with holocaust denier Nick Fuentes.

From NPR: According to the Anti-Defamation League, 2021 was the highest year on record for documented reports of harassment, vandalism and violence directed against Jews. The watchdog group has tracked these incidents since 1979, and it says 2022 will look a lot like last year.

So what's going on? Is antisemitism becoming normalized or some version or form of it? What is acceptable speech and what's hate speech when it comes to this topic?

Joining us for this topic are Tyler Gregory, CEO of the Jewish Community Relationship Council, and State Senator Scott Wiener. More this below and more panelists may join!

Co-Sponsored by the Wallenberg Democratic Club

About Senator Scott Wiener:

Senator Wiener serves as Chair of the Senate Housing Committee and the Senate Committee on Legislative Ethics. He serves as Vice Chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, immediate past chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, and Chair of the Senate Mental Health Caucus. Senator Wiener is a member of the Public Safety Committee, Judiciary Committee, Governance and Finance Committee, and Health Committee. He is the Senate Assistant Majority Whip.

Before his election to the Senate, Senator Wiener served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing the district previously represented by Supervisor Harvey Milk. During his time on the Board of Supervisors, Senator Wiener authored a number of first-in-the-nation laws, including mandating fully paid parental leave for all working parents and requiring water recycling and solar power in new developments. He focused extensively on housing and public transportation, authoring laws to expedite approval of affordable housing, legalize new in-law units, and tie public transportation funding to population growth.

About Tyler Gregory:

Tye joined JCRC as its fifth executive director in April of 2020. He was previously executive director of A Wider Bridge (AWB), a New York-based partner organization of JCRC that is working to advance LGBTQ equality and inclusion in Israel. During his six years as deputy director and later executive director of AWB, the organization grew from a Bay Area startup to a leading voice for Jewish and Israel inclusion in the fabric of LGBTQ and progressive America. Before AWB, Gregory spent several years working for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in San Francisco. He is a graduate of UC Davis, and a native of San Diego.

JCRC Bay Area is the largest collective voice of the Jewish community across San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. We advocate for Jews to be able to live their own authentic Jewish lives and believe that by working together with other communities, the full vibrancy and diversity of Jewish identity will be embraced and celebrated. We mobilize Bay Area Jews and our allies to counter antisemitism and rising hate, advance social justice, strengthen civic engagement, and ensure a combined response to critical issues we all face.

About the Wallenberg Democratic Club:

In 40 years of San Francisco activities, the Wallenberg club has become a top advocate for the Jewish community's essential issues. The Wallenberg Club has hosted local and statewide elected officials at numerous events and has been a platform for future leaders in our political community.

Click this link to register.

MJ's Brass Boppers

Friday, Feb. 3, 1:15 pm

City Hall side of City Hall Plaza

Bring the strut in your step and join us as we usher in Black History Month for a second line procession down City Hall Plaza. The second line will end at the Main Library's Larkin St. entrance for a short performance.

Click here for more details.

Please join the Mayor London Breed for the 2023 Black History Month Kick Off Celebration on Friday, February 3rd at 12:00 PM in San Francisco City Hall, Rotunda. This celebration, with the theme this year: “Black Resistance,” is free to the public. 

Please RSVP to MayorEvents@sfgov.org.

The Holocaust is the greatest crime in world history. But one U.S. agency fought tirelessly to save the Jews from Nazi terrorism. On January 26, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society will host a special webinar to recognize International Holocaust Remembrance Day. During our event, we will share the remarkable—yet largely unknown—story of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s War Refugee Board. Our featured speaker to lead this important conversation is Holocaust historian, Dr. Rebecca Erbelding, who authored the subject’s authoritative history, Rescue Board: The Untold Story of America’s Efforts to Save the Jews of Europe.

According to Dr. Erbelding, the War Refugee Board represents, “the only time in American history that the U.S. government founded a government agency to save the lives of non-Americans being murdered by a wartime enemy.” We will therefore discuss the extent to which U.S. leaders knew that the Holocaust was happening, the heroic response of the War Refugee Board, and yet, why its first director believed the Board’s efforts were “little and late” compared to the systematic murder of six million Jewish people and millions of others. 

Finally, with antisemitism again on the rise, we’ll discuss which lessons from America’s response to the Holocaust can still be learned from today.

Dr. Erbelding is an historian, educator, curator, and archivist at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. She recently served as an historical advisor and on-camera expert in Ken Burns’ documentary, “The U.S. and the Holocaust.” As part of her work, she's given presentations on Anne Frank, Holocaust-era diaries, U.S. immigration policy during the 1930s, as well as the “Hoecker album,” which depicts Nazi life at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Her book on the War Refugee Board won the 2018 National Jewish Book Award for Writing Based on Archival Material.

Register for this event here

The MLK2023 Celebration Program features an historic presentation by leaders on the state’s historic Reparations Legislation.

The program includes performances by San Francisco’s Poet Laureate Tongo Eisen-Martin.

Blue Shield of California Theater @ YBCA: 700 Howard Street

More information here: https://norcalmlkfoundation.org/mlkcelebration/mlk2023/the-mlk2023-celebration-program/?mc_cid=4eb886c12b&mc_eid=01e77c6010

The Liberation Film Festival (LFF) are dedicated to bringing short-format cinema and human-interest documentaries to the public through innovative programs designed to engage new and diverse audiences. 2023 marks the thirteenth annual program and will feature human interest and civil rights documentaries and, for the first time, animated shows. A partnership with California Newsreel, the screenings are free and open to the public with limited theater seating on a first-come, first-served, basis.

LFF scheduled screenings will be presented in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Screening Room and YBCA’s Blue Shield of California Theater.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

More information here: https://norcalmlkfoundation.org/mlkcelebration/mlk2023/the-mlk2023-liberation-film-festival/?mc_cid=4eb886c12b&mc_eid=01e77c6010

The MLK2023 Health and Wellness Festival gathers the region’s health providers for a one-day event of free services and exciting activities during the MLK celebration. COVID testing is also scheduled to be available during the MLK events.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum: 701 Mission Street

More information here: https://norcalmlkfoundation.org/mlkcelebration/mlk2023/mlk2023-health-wellness-festival/?mc_cid=4eb886c12b&mc_eid=01e77c6010

Join thousands in honoring the Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama marches and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by experiencing the MLK2023 commemorative march/parade from San Francisco's Caltrain Station to Yerba Buena Gardens. The march begins at 11:00am on Monday, January 16, and participants are encouraged to arrive early. The 1.5 mile journey crosses the Lefty O'Doul Bridge and stops at Willie Mays Plaza at AT&T Park to commemorate the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, a symbol of violence and victory in the civil rights movement.

Groups can register and march together at the MLK2023 March Eventbrite page.

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.

SF Caltrain Station: 4th Street@Townsend

More information here: https://norcalmlkfoundation.org/mlkcelebration/mlk2023/the-mlk2023-march/?mc_cid=4eb886c12b&mc_eid=01e77c6010