Bruce Lee: Oakland names street after martial arts legend

OAKLAND, Calif. - The City of Oakland on Monday honored film and martial arts legend Bruce Lee with a commemorative street renaming at Broadway and Garnet Street.

Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, talked to the crowd at the ceremony and told them that Oakland was a very important place for her family because it's the city where her father's film career started.

"His film career actually started here," she said. "And so, Oakland is a very significant place to us."

The intersection where the renaming happened is near the location of the martial arts school that Bruce Lee founded and ran with Jimmy Yung Lee. 

The school was notable for the martial arts skill taught, Jeet Kune Do, and its inclusive philosophy regarding its students. 

Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan said that well-known personalities such as NBA star Kareem Abdul Jabbar and the late politician Ron Dellums were students.

Kaplan introduced the idea in June to honor Lee, and his "significant contributions to Oakland's cultural history." 

Oakland has several streets named for famous people the city has connections to, including musicians Sheila E., Tupac and Too $hort. 

Oakland street named after Bruce Lee. September 23, 2024