The Bay Area's shelter-in-place order has brought countless events usually held as in-person gatherings online. We're aiming to support local businesses in San Francisco and Oakland by highlighting five of these events each day.

Got a suggestion for an online event based in SF or Oakland? Email our events reporter, Teresa Hammerl. 

Here's your San Francisco online event calendar for Wednesday, July 22. Join a book club, take a virtual tour of a members-only library or learn about the history of racial and LGBTQ justice.

Virtual Tour of the Mechanics' Institute

Join the Mechanics' Institute of San Francisco, a members-only private library founded in 1854, for a virtual tour with librarian and historian Taryn Edwards. You'll get an orientation to the institute's building, including the library and the chess room, along with an overview of its history and mission, an outline of its current services and the benefits of a membership. Tours typically take 45 to 60 minutes.

When: Wednesday, July 22, 12 p.m.

How to join: Via Zoom

Price: Free

The Evolution of Black LGBTQ Leadership

Later, join The GLBT Historical Society for a panel on revolutionary leaders, tracing the arc of justice from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, to the burgeoning LGBTQ rights movement of the 1980s, to the modern-day movement for Black lives.

Hear personal experiences, critical historical context and social commentary on racial and LGBTQ justice in America, remembering the Compton’s Cafeteria riot of August 1966 in the Tenderloin and the Stonewall riots of June 1969 in New York.

When: Wednesday, July 22, 6 p.m.

How to join: RSVP online

Price: $0 – $25 (sliding scale)

We the Resistance: A Conversation About Nonviolent Protest in U.S.

Then, tune in for a conversation presented by Grace Cathedral and City Lights, with Michael G. Long, editor of the book "We the Resistance: Documenting a History of Nonviolent Protest," and Miguel Bustos, senior director of the Glide Center for Social Justice. Patrick Thompson, veteran antitrust litigator, will moderate the panel.  

The conversation aims to provide perspective on the ingredients of a nonviolent protest, what happens when protests turn violent, the roots of today’s protests and the answers to the questions: Have violent protests worked in the past? How have other presidents responded to nonviolent protests? And, what are the most important lessons we can learn from the past?

When: Wednesday, July 22, 6 p.m.

How to join: Via Eventbrite

Price: $0 – $10 (sliding scale)

Alcatraz and Mass Incarceration

Later in the evening, hear from Troy Williams, founder and director of Restorative Media and host of Troy Williams Journal. Williams was released in 2014 after serving 18 years of a life sentence in San Quentin State Prison. Hear his story and a discussion of incarceration during COVID-19, protests and uprisings.

When: Wednesday, July 22, 7 p.m.

How to join: Via Zoom

Price: Free

July Romance Book Club: Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Join a romance book club hosted by Divisadero-based store Perdita. This time, participants will read and discuss the new book "Take a Hint, Dani Brown: A Novel" by British author Talia Hibbert.

When: Wednesday, July 22, 7:30 p.m.

How to join: Via Zoom

Price: Free