Oakland to honor Bruce Lee with intersection renaming
June 11, 2024
Oakland to honor Bruce Lee with intersection renaming: Oakland, California, plans to rename the intersection of Garnet Street and Broadway after iconic martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, who founded his Jeet Kune Do studio there in 1964. The Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute fostered intercultural unity and attracted diverse community members, including celebrities like Steve McQueen and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
- Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan previously proposed a resolution to rename the intersection “Bruce Lee Way” and install a plaque in Lee’s honor, following the suggestion from former Mayor Ron Dellums, a martial arts enthusiast who trained under Lee. Dellums hopes the initiative will draw martial arts enthusiasts to Oakland, aligning with the city’s tradition of honoring local icons by renaming streets.
- Lee, born in San Francisco and raised in Hong Kong, was celebrated for his martial arts prowess and advocacy against racist Hollywood portrayals of Asians in the 1960s and ’70s before tragically passing away at the age of 32 in 1973 due to an allergic reaction.
Share this Article
