Sixty years after Bruce Lee opened his martial arts school at the intersection of Broadway and Garnet Street in Oakland, California, the City Council has approved renaming the intersection “Bruce Lee Way” in recognition of his achievements and contributions to the community.
The resolution to rename the Oakland intersection “Bruce Lee Way” was initially introduced by City Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan to the city's Public Works and Transportation Committee on Tuesday, Oaklandside reported.
“By honoring and inspiring Bruce Lee, we are also recognizing and celebrating his contributions to inspiring the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community in Oakland and beyond,” Kaplan said.
Lee's influence extended beyond martial arts to become an anti-racist cultural icon, renowned not only for his exceptional martial arts skills but also for fighting against racist portrayals of Asians in film and television in the 1960s and 1970s. The Green Hornet and Dragon AppearsKTVU reported.
Born in San Francisco and raised in Hong Kong, his groundbreaking work challenged stereotypes and paved the way for more accurate and respectful representation of Asian characters in media.
The Oakland Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute was Bruce Lee's second martial arts studio, but is best known as the place where he created and began teaching his own style of martial art, Jeet Kune Do.
As Oakland Port Authority Director Michael Colbruno noted at Tuesday's Public Works and Transportation Committee meeting, the martial arts community continued to have a deep passion for Bruce Lee even after his death in 1973.
“Renaming the intersection will also help attract martial arts enthusiasts to Auckland city, further enriching our cultural landscape and fostering a sense of community cohesion,” he added.
Through the recognition of “The Bruce Lee Way”, Oakland is celebrating a cultural icon and striving to create a more inclusive environment.
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