Fans of Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu began lining up early on Thursday morning at Frank Ogawa Plaza to catch a glimpse of the ice skater who has become a global superstar. Almost every Bay Area sports team, from the Valkyries to the Roots, presented her with a custom jersey.
Mayor Barbara Lee presented Liu with a key to the city, shaped like an oak tree, made by artists at The Crucible, an artists hub and school in West Oakland. Liu is one of only a handful of locals who have received Oakland’s key, including D’Wayne Wiggins, the late founding member of the R&B soul band Tony! Toni! Toné!; Fredrika Newton, the widow of Black Panther Party founder Huey P. Newton; and rapper Mistah F.A.B.
When MC Sway Calloway asked Liu what one word describes Oakland, she said, “Soul” — and the crowd went wild.
Liu is the first U.S. woman in 24 years to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. And she brought home two. The Oakland celebration began inside City Hall, in the council chambers, where Liu fielded questions from journalists and reflected on learning to navigate her newfound fame.
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“Most people have been really respectful, so I’ve been grateful for that,” Liu said. “But, yeah, I gotta learn how to live my life and go on about my day without getting stopped too many times.”
Liu also shouted out her Chinese heritage, her Oakland upbringing, and the importance of representation in the Olympics.
“I love being half Chinese, and both my parents are actually full Chinese, so I was raised in a complete Chinese household,” she said. “It shaped a lot of who I am today.”
On the lawn in front of City Hall, Liu’s family, fans, and elected officials kept up the energy despite the unusually hot weather. Oakland’s D-Sharp, the official DJ of the Golden State Warriors, spun a setlist packed with Bay Area classics, including Mac Dre, the Jacka, P-Lo, LaRussell, and more.
The rally, organized by Lee’s office, the City of Oakland, and Visit Oakland, the city’s tourism bureau, and produced by Oakland Venue Management, brought out a range of Oakland personalities eager to celebrate the gold medal champ. According to Mayor Lee’s communications director, Justin Phillips, Liu didn’t want to know any details about the rally ahead of time.
Calloway, the longtime MTV News host and journalist, known locally for his radio days at 106 KMEL, infused his MC role with love for The Town.
“Ain’t nothing better in the world than Oakland, California,” Calloway told the crowd as he took the stage.
Sway did a rapid-fire Q&A with Liu so people in the crowd — and those who watched the livestream — could learn a little more about her. Liu said that hip-hop is the music that gets her going before getting on the ice. She talked about how much she loves eating at restaurants in Oakland Chinatown. She also said she loves the view of Oakland from the hills, and loves how many prodigies have come out of OSA.
“Oakland is so creative,” she said. “We got a lot of soul here, and there’s so many people that are so inspiring. We’re so grounded. My friend group here is just the best. And I love, I love this place.”
Bay Area rappers G-Eazy, P-Lo, and Jwalt; figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist; boxer Andre Ward, the 2004 light heavyweight Olympic gold medalist; and Emmy-winning host and producer W. Kamau Bell made cameos, getting up on stage to congratulate Liu.
“Oakland is the greatest city in the world, in the whole universe,” Bell said. “We continue creating greatness.”
U.S. Rep Lateefah Simon was one of the first to speak.
“She’s our hero,” Simon said. “She’s an American hero. She brought that gold to Broadway. If you want something done, have a young woman of color do it.”
The event was shaped up as a celebration of Oakland youth. Fremont High School sent its powerful drumline. Abayomi Lewis, a vocalist at Liu’s alma mater, Oakland School for the Arts and “American Idol” semi-finalist, sang Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park,” the song Liu performed to in her gold medal-winning routine. And Lina Nguyen, a senior at Oakland’s Skyline High School and a leader in the All-City Council Student Union, shared reflections on how Liu’s journey — and her willingness to take risks and fail — has inspired her and other Oakland youth.
TURFinc dancers and dragon dancers from Shaolin Kung Fu in Oakland Chinatown also performed.
At the end of the celebration, another Oakland School for the Arts alum took to the stage: Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Kehlani, Liu’s favorite artist, to an explosion of cheers from the large contingent of OSA students at the edge of the stage.
Photographer Estefany Gonzalez was on site to capture it all for The Oaklandside.
Liu was ecstatic to join the turf dancers on stage. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
Kehlani (left), Liu, and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee just after Lee presented Liu with the key to the city. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
Pinole rapper P-Lo, left, and Oakland rapper G-Eazy, right, were among the celebrities who jumped onstage to celebrate Liu. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
4,000 people powered through unusually hot temperatures at Frank Ogawa Plaza for the celebration and rally. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
Liu’s father Arthur Liu, center, takes a video of his daughter during the rally. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
Liu graduated from Oakland School for the Arts, and OSA students turned out in force. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez
Kehlani, Oakland’s Grammy-award-winning singer and songwriter and another OSA alum, thrilled the crowd. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
Sway Calloway, the longtime Oakland journalist, TV host and radio DJ, emceed the event. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
People who showed up received a replica of the new Alysa Liu mural in Temescal by the Illuminaries. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
“I feel so seen because of Alysa Liu” was among the many hand-drawn signs at the rally. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez
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