Overview
- The service filled the Calvin Simmons Theater at the Henry J. Kaiser Center a day before what would have been Beam’s 67th birthday.
- Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Congresswoman Lateefah Simon addressed the crowd, with Marshawn Lynch and Damian Lillard among the notable attendees.
- Beam’s daughters, Monica Beam and Sonjha Phillips, offered personal reflections that emphasized his presence as a father and lifelong mentor.
- Beam died Nov. 14 after being shot Nov. 13 in the Laney College fieldhouse; former student Cedric Irving Jr., 27, is charged with murder, with court filings indicating a possible mental-health defense.
- His 45-year career across Skyline High and Laney College gained national attention through Netflix’s Last Chance U, and reports say he had raised fieldhouse safety concerns the day before the shooting.