1 APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
___________________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. ______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY COUNCILMEMBER ROWENA BROWN
RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 19-25, 2026, AS “LOVE LIFE” WEEK IN THE CITY OF OAKLAND
WHEREAS, on April 5, 2016, the City Council passed Resolution No. 86088 C.M.S. adopting "Love Life" as the City of Oakland's official motto; and WHEREAS, Donald Lacy championed the task of making Love Life the City's official motto and founded the Lovelife Foundation, which was created to honor the work and vision of his 16-year-old daughter LoEshe' Lacy; and
WHEREAS, LoEshe', whose name means "Love Life" in Ibo/Nigerian, was a successful conflict resolution mediator who lost her life to a senseless act of gun violence in West Oakland on October 20, 1997; and
WHEREAS, the "Love Life" motto speaks to our community values of building an inclusive, equitable, and authentic Oakland and demonstrates that intentional care and concern will inform and guide our practices in our quest to make Oakland a safe, just, sustainable, equitable, and vibrant city; and
WHEREAS, through the adoption of this motto, we denounce violence in all forms, the conditions that create violence, and seek to honor every life lost in Oakland from acts of violence and commit to working against these conditions to create a safe space for all to operate in Love and Peace on our streets; and
WHEREAS, through the adoption of this motto, we set the intention to model love in practice, in our work, proceedings, and processes, and have established a Love Life acknowledgment to commence meetings, gatherings, events, and open spaces with this intention; and
WHEREAS, as a city, we commit to acts of love as an intentional force to generate tangible solutions, in regard to all policies, declarations, recommendations, resolutions, appointments, and actions; and
2 WHEREAS, we recognize that, as leaders, we must set an example and precedent for those who have entrusted us with these duties and accept the responsibility to make our city and community a better place, leading with the guiding principle of love; and WHEREAS, we acknowledge Love in practice, even when there are differences in opinions, strategies, procedures, and process, and we will seek to find common ground, and tangible solutions that demonstrate love for our city, its residents, and all constituents; and WHEREAS, we acknowledge that when we lead with love we are able to uplift a thriving city rooted in equity, equality, justice, inclusion, and opportunity for all regardless of race, gender, age, class, socio-economic status, nationality, religion, sexual preference, housing status, or political affiliation; and
WHEREAS, we acknowledge that when we uplift love, we uplift those impacted by violence of all and any kind. We acknowledge that when we uplift love we uplift, traditions of our ancestors, our arts, our culture, our businesses, our educators, our unhoused, our civic servants, and all who contribute to the fabric and well being of our community; and WHEREAS, building on our Love Live acknowledgment, the City Administration has worked to identify ways to embody the motto through citywide communications and activations; and
WHEREAS, on October 18, 2022, the City Council passed Resolution No. 89445 C.M.S. declaring the week of October 20th as "Love Life" week in the City of Oakland, beginning October 2022, and continuing each year thereafter; and
WHEREAS, to activate the "Love Life" motto and more prominently uplift it to ultimately be embraced by the community, the City will continue its work through the implementation of the City's core strategies related to Violence Prevention and Cultural Arts; and WHEREAS, during Love Life Week, the city will host and uplift community events during the week of October 20th that embodies the message of valuing life, uplifting love in our arts, honoring those spreading love through their work, and helping to stop violence in our communities; and
WHEREAS, this resolution reflects the city's commitment to uplift a model of Love Life through its action plan to implement the city's motto with public agency partners, incorporate its use of the motto in official communication, and adopt a comprehensive and holistic approach to addressing the conditions that lead to violence and toward creating a climate of restoration for the individuals and communities impacted by violence; now, therefore, be it 3 RESOLVED: That the City Council does hereby recognize the week of October 20th, 2026 as "Love Life Week" in the City of Oakland.
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
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