The Interfaith Movement For Human Integrity (IM4HI) held their third annual Love Over Fear Benefit Concert on Thursday. People from various communities gathered to watch musicians and storytellers, whose stories and performances brought attention to the injustices and oppression throughout the country. The event brought people together in solidarity, spreading awareness of decarceration and immigrant rights.
All proceeds from the concert are donated to IM4HI, and the money is then distributed to individuals and families in need. “One of the things that we’re raising money for is empowering families that are impacted by family separation, detention, and deportation,” Co-Executive Director of IM4HI Deborah Lee said.
The concert’s main goal was to bring communities together, especially during a time when so many families are living without a sense of security. “This is a space that we create on purpose so that everybody can feel safe, and everybody can feel like they have some place to come where they are not only going to avoid harassment, but they’re going to be uplifted, empowered, and have their voices listened to,” Chair of the Board of Directors for IM4HI Benjamin Mertz said.
Mertz—artist name BenjaSoul— kicked off the concert with a song that conveyed a message about shared humanity and perseverance. Mertz sang and played the piano simultaneously. His voice was powerful and bold, beautifully executing lyrics related to bravery and strength. Mertz repeated the line “We’re staying alive” throughout the chorus, followed by the audience joining in and responding with “I’m still here, I’m not afraid.” The harmonized chorus and message of resilience made for a powerful opening performance.
All of the seats were filled with captivated audience members who showed up for numerous different reasons. “I had seen them, [IM4HI] when ICE was initially deployed at the end of October. They’ve been doing good work on the ground, defending migrants,” spectator Allie Paito said.
Some out in the audience have been proud supporters of IM4HI for several years. “I’ve grown up going to different actions with the organization; they do really good work, and so I wanted to support them. [IM4HI] always brings really interesting acts and music, it’s a good time,” community member Abigail Pugh said.
Attendees also thought that a significant aspect of the event was to bring people together. “It’s really important—especially right now with the administration and ICE bringing terror to the streets—to come together as a community and share some joy and love from all different backgrounds, cultures, and races,” three-year IM4HI supporter Ashley Manges said.
MOTION, a three-member acapella group, was up next. The group prefaced their performance by dedicating their songs to people in the audience facing hardships. The first song started quiet with a suspenseful beat. The pace then began to speed up, and the different layers of vocals became more complex. The audience then echoed the lyric “Building this bridge of new ideas,” adding to the theme of unity throughout the event. During the third song, audience members connected by chanting the lyric “I stand for you, you stand for me.”
“The acapella singing, there is something about the harmonies that really just heals, everything was really just amazing,” partner of IM4HI Clinon Huey said, when asked about his favorite part of the concert. “People have a right to seek freedom, seek escape from danger in their home countries, a right to move, and to find a place where they can build a better life. When we come to something like this, it helps us feel that we are not alone,” Huey said.
Yamileth, a community member, was brought on stage to share her story. Yamileth was raised in a dysfunctional family where domestic violence was a daily occurrence, resulting in her leaving home. When she believed she was going to receive help, the people who offered her false support ended up being members of the most violent gangs in her country. “From that moment on, my life became a horror story. I was kidnapped and forced to do things against my will, for nine years I was subjected to physical and psychological torture until one day God gave me the strength to walk away from that life,” Yamileth said.
Afterwards, in 2024, she and her husband made the decision to start a new journey to the United States with dreams of starting over in a safe space. “Upon crossing the border, another nightmare began for me. My husband was detained and he has remained in prison since September 2024,” Yamileth said. Once she arrived in the Bay Area, she began to have horrible stress and anxiety attacks, until she found IM4HI in April, who had accompanied her through her challenges. “Although I now have a beautiful community, I still miss my husband. No one should be detained for pursuing a dream of a better and safer life,” she said.
Following the touching story, a refreshing fourth performance was led by a successful singer-songwriter and seven-time album producer, Fransisco Herrera. Herrera began with quickly paced guitar, an upbeat rhythm, and lyrics that preached ideas of hope and unity. The audience harmonized with him, singing the lyrics “There is hope, there is power in the union of people.” Herrera concluded his performance by singing the popular song “Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland and invited the audience to join in.
The performances that took place in the first half of the concert shared different cultures and stories throughout the community. “In times like these, arts and cultures are usually limited or destroyed or diminished, and [culture and arts] is something we need as a society to be connected with one another,” Communications Manager for IM4HI Felicia Hyde said.
The second half of the show began with Al-Juthoor, a Palestinian dance group that performed a traditional folk dance called Dabke. The dancers aimed to raise awareness about Palestinian and Arab hardships, stories, and art. Al-Juthoor also wanted to represent their culture and traditions that they are deeply proud of. The dance group’s technical director gave a brief but moving speech. “Understanding that none of us are free until all of us are free,” he said, emphasizing the importance of having a united front.
Following the Palestinian dance group, Muslim, Palestinian, and queer poet Hanan Huneidi took the stage. Huneidi’s poetry was a powerful ode to Palestine, weaving together themes of resistance and the urgent need to dismantle racism. Huneidi preached “Please stop this genocide” repeatedly throughout her first poem. With passion and great wisdom, Huneidi called out the injustices faced in the world, while emphasizing the protection of children, mothers, and fathers, and the wisdom and faith of the elders. “Have you ever heard screams like these, these screams of humans being pushed beyond anything imaginable, and yet these screams still say thank God, it is God’s will,” Huneidi said.
In the climax of the performance, Huneidi spoke with an unwavering hope for a future of equality and freedom for everybody. “Until we watch this empire fall, and every black person, and every indigenous person, and every trans person, and every queer person, and every immigrant person, and every accomplice will dance so hard that the earth will shake and we will sing so loud that the vibrations of our voices will heal this planet from the their destruction,” Huneidi said.
As one of the last acts, Diana Gameros, a singer-songwriter and a devoted performer for IM4HI, took the stage. Gameros had poignant lyrics, soul-stirring melodies, and a soothing, beautifully haunting voice. She sang in both English and Spanish about stopping ICE raids, having resilience, and championing freedom. “My friend, don’t give up, it will take all of us for the killings to stop,” Gameros sang. She preached the importance of how all humans deserve dignity, love, and joy. “No one is free until we are all free,” she said. Gameros ended her performance by happily singing “Las mañanitas” for Yamileth’s birthday, with everyone clapping along.
For the final performance, Mertz showed everyone a song written by IM4HI themselves. He encouraged the audience and past performers to sing along with lyrics on the board, both in Spanish and English, to encourage messages of unity and freedom. “We are the movement, we are the light, building bridges, transforming lives, we have the power to set things right, seeking freedom and human rights,” everyone sang before a final applause.
Volunteers helped throughout the event and within IM4HI. “Initially, when I came to this country, I wanted to help my fellow Nicaraguans with their asylum process and someone connected me with this organization where I could also help other people who were not only from my country,” Pro Se Legal Coordinator For IM4HI Pablo Guerrera said.
The concert was a success and allowed individuals to share their stories, cultures, and ideas safely. All performances contributed to the bond and shared community felt between audience members and performers alike, leaving everybody feeling connected.
“This is a space specifically to acknowledge that no matter your background, your past, your present, or your future, we are all the same, especially when it comes to music and culture. That’s something we can all connect to and understand,” Hyde said.
