After a unanimous vote by the city council on Tuesday, the late Tupac Shakur will be commemorated with a street renaming in Oakland.
Although he was born in Harlem and lived in various places, including Baltimore, Maryland, and Marin City, California, Shakur attributed his “game” and career launch to Oakland, as stated in the legislation authorizing this tribute.
The section of MacArthur Boulevard near Lake Merritt, where Shakur once resided, will retain its original name but will also be bestowed with the honorary name of Tupac Shakur Way.
The Tupac Shakur Foundation will cover the costs of commemorative plaques and signs to indicate this change.
Oakland has previously honoured notable figures with street names, such as Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton and rapper/record producer Too Short.
Tupac Shakur tragically lost his life at the age of 25 in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in 1996.
The City Council legislation aims to ensure that the renamed part of the street serves as a reminder of Shakur’s contributions to Oakland and recognizes art and culture as agents of transformative social change.
No specific timeline was provided for the implementation of the name change.
