APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
________________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. ______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY COUNCILMEMBER JANANI RAMACHANDRAN
ADOPT A RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF
NICIA DE’LOVELY, AN ACCLAIMED OAKLAND POET, PERFORMER
AND ACTIVIST, FOR HER EFFORTS UPLIFTING THOSE IMPACTED
BY ABUSE AND VIOLENCE, T HROUGH COMPASSIONATE
COMMUNITY SERVICE AND ARTISTIC VOICE.
WHEREAS, Nicia De’Lovely (February 2, 1978 – June 30, 2026) was an acclaimed Oakland poet, performer, playwright, author, ARTivist, advocate, healer, and community servant, whose life and work joined art, testimony, faith, and survival; and
WHEREAS, Nicia De’Lovely used her lived experience as a survivor to reclaim her voice through poetry and committed her life to helping others find theirs, disrupting silence around taboo subjects and addressing sexual trauma, exploitation, and injustice through narrative, dramatic, and lyrical verse; and
WHEREAS, under the production name “Nicia De’Lovely Presents,” and through creative partnerships including her work with SousSHE, Nicia created survivor -centered performances, literary therapy workshops, healing retreats, beautification projects, altar designs, living and textile artistry, theater, and community events rooted in restoration and justice; and
WHEREAS, in 2021 she founded The Lovely Nest, a poetry and creativity parlor in Downtown Oakland, as a safe and nurturing space to foster self -esteem and humanity through artistry and charity, especially for survivors and those impacted by abuse, and to unconventionally protest sexual violence committed against children while promoting survivor well-being; and
WHEREAS, Nicia also served as an Advisory Board Member for Arts & Creative Expression at SousSHE Inc., where her poetic ministry, creative leadership, and commitment to uplifting others helped cultivate spaces that inspire resilience, empowerment, and cultural pride for Black girls and women; and
WHEREAS, Nicia’s artistry and leadership were recognized across Oakland’s cultural institutions: she was a recurring lead poet for the Oakland Ballet Company, a recurring poet for
2 3482849/LL
the African American Museum and Library of Oakland (AAMLO), and a featured artist in AAMLO’s “Soiree: An Evening of the Arts”; and
WHEREAS, Nicia served as Poet in Residence at GLIDE Memorial Church, where she offered original poetry for Sunday Celebrations, and public witness centered on healing, justice, and spiritual reflection; and
WHEREAS, her groundbreaking one -woman show, GET UNCOMFORTABLE, premiered in 2019 and received the Best of Fringe Festival Award at the San Francisco Fringe, honoring her fearless, survivor -centered storytelling and her commitment to truth -telling, discomfort, and collective healing; and
WHEREAS, Nicia’s creative partnerships extended beyond any single stage, including serving as lead poet in Regina Y. Evans’ production CEREMONY: A Fashion Ritual, which received national recognition after being performed at the United Nations Women’s Conference to End Modern-Day Sex Slavery in New York; and
WHEREAS, Nicia’s poetry and voice were featured in community gatherings such as GLIDE’s “Justice Poetry Jam: Words Are Movements” where her work helped narrate journeys of resilience, love, safety, and belonging for Oakland residents; and
WHEREAS, as an author, Nicia gifted readers with Daughter of a Black Sun and Eyes.
Words. Womb., modern works of urban poetry that speak to Black America, women, and survivors with compassion, conviction, and a call to awaken, nurturing growth, healing, discovery, individuality, sensuality, and advocacy against abuse; and
WHEREAS, beyond her artistic accolades, Nicia lived her humanitarianism in direct and practical ways, including offerings such as Nicia’s Pad -bag Pop-up, through which she provided toiletry bags and care to low-income, no-income, and displaced women out of her own pocket, and continually used her resources to serve the most vulnerable in our city; and
WHEREAS, Nicia loved Oakland and its people the way a grandmother loves a family:
fully, fiercely, with food, prayer, truth, and the expectation that each person would rise because she already saw the rise in them, turning ordinary rooms into altars and gatherings into healing circles simply by her presence; and
WHEREAS, Nicia demonstrated unwavering commitment to healing and justice through her work in the arts, social services, and community advocacy, centering the needs of women, children, and vulnerable community members; and
WHEREAS, she shared her original theater works and inspirational poetry at BAMBDFest, a multi-day celebration of the Black Arts Movement Business District in Oakland, California, presented by the BAMBD Community Development Corporation and produced by Lower Bottom Playaz, Inc., thereby contributing to the preservation and flourishing of Black arts, culture, and community memory; and
WHEREAS, in addition to her creative and cultural work, she served in social services for
3 3482849/LL
Alameda County, contributing to essential safety -net and support systems that help at -risk children, families, and adults meet basic needs and move toward stability and dignity; and
WHEREAS, she further served as a Case Manager and Intake Coordinator with Building Opportunities for Self -Sufficiency (BOSS), supporting individuals and families facing homelessness, poverty, and systemic barriers through direct services, advocacy, and holistic resource coordination; and
WHEREAS, her life and work embody the values of courage, compassion, justice, and collective care that the City of Oakland strives to uphold, and her contributions to art, advocacy, and spiritual and emotional healing have left a lasting impact on countless indiv iduals and institutions in our city; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Oakland City Council hereby honors and commemorates Nicia De’Lovely for her extraordinary contributions to the City of Oakland as a poet, artist, advocate, and community servant; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the City of Oakland recognizes the week of September 21, 2026, as “Nicia De’Lovely Week,” as a time for Oakland residents to celebrate her life, call her name, share her work, and carry forward the love, truth, and healing she planted in this city.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - BROWN, FIFE, GALLO, HOUSTON, RAMACHANDRAN, UNGER, WANG, AND
PRESIDENT JENKINS
NOES –
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California