John Beam RIP Skyline High & Laney College Coach, AD Celebrated By Libby Schaaf Fmr Mayor of Oakland
John Beam RIP Skyline High & Laney College Coach, AD Celebrated By Libby Schaaf Fmr Mayor of Oakland
John Beam RIP: Skyline High & Laney College Coach & AD Celebrated By Libby Schaaf Fmr Mayor of Oakland Zennie Abraham note: the creation of the idea for the presentation of Former Mayor Schaaf’s Statement on the passing of our legendary Coach John Beam came from me. In the wake of Coach Beam’s untimely passing, there were so many Oaklanders whose voices were represented in the various types of media, that it occurred to me that Libby’s was missing. Further, I believed that considering Libby was the 50th Mayor of Oakland, District Four Councilmember, and a Skyline High School graduate (Class of 1983 where I am Class of 1980), as well as my godsister, her voice should be part of the array of speeches and commentary about Coach Beam. So, I texted Libby and she was only too happy to put her thoughts together in a speech for me to read online. And here it is: I knew Coach Beam since my days as a cheerleader at Skyline in the early 80s. He exuded love and belief in all of us young people - an energy that grew ever stronger throughout his impactful life. He transformed so many lives. When I became Oakland’s Mayor 35 years later, he was not only the famed coach at Laney, but he was also running a summer program for high school athletes with some of my former Skyline classmates. Thats how he was - he never let people out of his life and yet always had room in his heart for class after class of young people who needed his support. His portrait in “Last Chance U” was so true to life and made us all so proud. This tragic end to such a generous life is unfathomable. Coach Beam left it all on the field for us year after year. May we honor his memory by trying to emulate his inspiring spirit. Thank you, Mayor Schaaf. In closing, I encourage and invite Oaklanders who want to lend their voice to this expression of love for Coach Beam, to contact me at zennie@zennie62media.net or 510-517-7565, or send a cell-phone-made video file of their speech (up to two minutes) and send it to me via text. I will post it (unless, of course, it has some statement that’s just too hot to handle). . Thank you, Oakland. We must heal, together.
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHXv77OGXV4
John Beam RIP: Skyline High & Laney College Coach & AD Celebrated By Libby Schaaf Fmr Mayor of Oakland Zennie Abraham note: the creation of the idea for the presentation of Former Mayor Schaaf’s Statement on the passing of our legendary Coach John Beam came from me. In the wake of Coach Beam’s untimely passing, there were so many Oaklanders whose voices were represented in the various types of media, that it occurred to me that Libby’s was missing. Further, I believed that considering Libby was the 50th Mayor of Oakland, District Four Councilmember, and a Skyline High School graduate (Class of 1983 where I am Class of 1980), as well as my godsister, her voice should be part of the array of speeches and commentary about Coach Beam. So, I texted Libby and she was only too happy to put her thoughts together in a speech for me to read online. And here it is: I knew Coach Beam since my days as a cheerleader at Skyline in the early 80s. He exuded love and belief in all of us young people - an energy that grew ever stronger throughout his impactful life. He transformed so many lives. When I became Oakland’s Mayor 35 years later, he was not only the famed coach at Laney, but he was also running a summer program for high school athletes with some of my former Skyline classmates. Thats how he was - he never let people out of his life and yet always had room in his heart for class after class of young people who needed his support. His portrait in “Last Chance U” was so true to life and made us all so proud. This tragic end to such a generous life is unfathomable. Coach Beam left it all on the field for us year after year. May we honor his memory by trying to emulate his inspiring spirit. Thank you, Mayor Schaaf. In closing, I encourage and invite Oaklanders who want to lend their voice to this expression of love for Coach Beam, to contact me at zennie@zennie62media.net or 510-517-7565, or send a cell-phone-made video file of their speech (up to two minutes) and send it to me via text. I will post it (unless, of course, it has some statement that’s just too hot to handle). . Thank you, Oakland. We must heal, together.
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHXv77OGXV4
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