Willie Davis: Our Black Hero of Chinatown
Join us July 25th for a special movie screening and reception!
National Recognition for Willie
Lincoln Square Recreation Center’s Willie Davis received national honors at for his work with the Oakland Chinatown community from People Matter, a Chicago-based nonprofit working to bridge the divide within diverse communities. For the past 3 years People Matter has been celebrating some of the most unseen heroes – the Black community members in Chinatown.
Davis, who has been working at the park for nearly 20 years, was honored at the Black Heroes of Chinatown celebration on June 9, 2022. The awards ceremony took place in Chicago, Illinois, and is a nationwide event invested in the solidarity of Black and Asian relationships across the nation. Davis was nominated by the Wa Sung Community Service Club and the Friends of Lincoln Square Park, two community-based Oakland Chinatown organizations.
For the first year since the event’s inception, there will be 10 honorees across the three major Chinatowns in the United States, to include San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. All of the honorees are predominant figures in their respective communities.
“Many people don’t realize that Chinatowns are very diverse and that Black and Brown people have lived in Chinatowns for generations as well. Black folks have helped to build- sometimes literally- the Chinatowns that we know and love today,” says Consuela Hendricks, organizer and creator of the Black Heroes of Chinatown event.
Davis, who works for the City of Oakland Parks, Recreation and Youth Development department as a Recreation Specialist II, is also a veteran of the U.S. Navy that served in the 3rd Marine Supply Unit #2 in Cuaviet, Vietnam, during the Vietnam war. He says, “The best part about my job (at Lincoln) is being able to watch these kids grow into well-rounded individuals.”
“For nearly 20 years, Willie Davis has been a part of the park staff at Oakland Chinatown's beloved Lincoln Square Park. This park is one of the busiest in Oakland in part because Willie and the other program staff have created a safe, community-focused haven for children, youth, families and seniors from all over the City, and across racial divides,” said Tiffany Eng, co-founder of Friends of Lincoln Square Park.
The Oakland Chinatown community and Lincoln Square Recreation Center are grateful for Davis’ service for this country, as well as for the community.
About Friends of Lincoln Square Park
Friends of Lincoln Square Park is leading the campaign to build a larger new Lincoln Recreation Center and Community Resiliency Center in Oakland Chinatown that better serves the community. We also sponsor park programming, such as the Lincoln Summer Nights, and support the City of Oakland's Parks, Recreation and Youth Development department to ensure that the park continues to be a welcoming and thriving public park for everyone, now, and for generations to come.
About Wa Sung Community Service Club
Since 1952, the Wa Sung Community Service Club onward mission and goals continuously provides community and educational services for the East Bay . While this all volunteer organization maintains its traditional annual events, they attempt ingenious ideas and ways to encourage positive lifestyles.
About People Matter
People Matter (PM) is a community-based organization whose mission is to uplift, unearth and untether people. We do this through direct service, grassroots organizing, political education, and art. We ask people what they want for their community through an ongoing community survey, and build projects based on the results through an equitable lens. Through the projects and leadership development work, we cultivate community leaders to protect and improve their communities. Our website is peoplematter.one.