Honoring John Beam

As you know, Oakland suffered an excruciating loss last week. John Beam, Athletic Director of Laney College, former Laney Head Football Coach, and former Head Coach at Skyline High School passed on Friday. He led Oakland teams for four decades, and he also taught in OUSD, at what was then Frick Junior High School, now Frick United Academy of Language.

In the days since he passed, the tributes to Coach Beam and his impact have been pouring in from across the country. And so many included such words as icon, legend, hero.

Warriors star Stephen Curry and Head Coach Steve Kerr both paid tribute to him in news conferences. Our football games on Friday held moments of silence. While I mentioned him and this devastating loss in a message I sent to you last Friday, I felt compelled to say more on behalf of the District.

Like so many across our city, I got to know John Beam because we always had the same mission: impacting young lives. And after spending more than four decades in education here in Oakland, I can say there was no one like him. He directly impacted thousands of boys and young men. He gave many a sense of purpose they had yet to find. Senses of direction and teamwork they so badly needed. He created leaders. He changed the trajectory of countless lives.

Yes, his teams won championships, including Skyline’s 15 league championships with him at the helm, and the state championship in junior college football that Laney won in 2018. But to me, the championships that truly mattered were all the boys he worked with who found themselves in ways they otherwise might not have were it not for his presence, his guidance, and his love.

Of course, there is nothing that any of us can say to ease the pain his family, friends, former players, colleagues, and so many others feel. And we all know his loss is another in a long line of devastating examples of gun violence that continues to plague our city. We are frustrated. Heartbroken. Perhaps feeling helpless.

If John Beam showed his players anything, it's that they have the power to change their circumstances. We should all remember that we too have that power. We must change our circumstances so that we get a handle on this senseless violence. To carry on Coach Beam’s legacy, we need to lead, guide, and love the young people of this city so that they know there is always a better way. For John Beam, it's the least we can do.

In community,

Dr. Denise Saddler
Superintendent