By CBS Bay Area<\/p>\n
Nearly three decades after losing his daughter to gun violence, Donald Lacy returned to the Oakland high school where she once studied for a dedication honoring her life and giving a new generation of students a platform to share their stories.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ATU Academy x Lo\u2019Eshe Lacy Podcast Studio\u201d at McClymonds High School was dedicated in memory of Lo\u2019Eshe, who was 16 when she was killed in 1997. She and her best friend, Maya McGhee-Nelson, were shot outside the school in an incident of youth gun violence. They were innocent bystanders. McGhee-Nelson survived.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was my first born child. My only daughter,\u201d Donald Lacy said.<\/p>\n
Lo\u2019Eshe loved to rap, dance and sing. Her father, who recently retired after 48 years in radio, recalled how she would visit his radio show and deliver her own reports.<\/p>\n
Now, 29 years after her death, her voice is inspiring students to find their own.<\/p>\n
The dedication ceremony brought an emotional surprise when McGhee-Nelson walked into the room. Seeing his daughter\u2019s childhood friend again moved Lacy, who recalled the girls growing up together.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou all gotta give me a little grace,\u201d he told the audience through tears. \u201cTo see my girl Maya walking through that door. Whew. I still see y\u2019all\u2019s snotty noses running around the house!\u201d<\/p>\n
Addressing McGhee-Nelson, he added, \u201cGod don\u2019t make mistakes. You were here because he wanted you here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The moment underscored how the loss of Lo\u2019Eshe continues to shape the lives of those who knew her.<\/p>\n
But the ceremony also marked a new beginning.<\/p>\n
When Lacy was invited to unveil the podcast studio bearing his daughter\u2019s name, he reacted with visible emotion as he entered and saw the space for the first time.<\/p>\n
The ATU Academy\u2019s founder Armand Carr, who helped lead the dedication, said the studio ensures Lo\u2019Eshe\u2019s legacy will continue.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer voice is still being heard,\u201d Carr said. \u201cJust because you\u2019re not here physically, your spiritual voice still carries on.\u201d<\/p>\n
The studio is designed to give students a place to express their ideas, creativity and perspectives through podcasting.<\/p>\n
For 16-year-old Yasmin Taylor, the opportunity means being able to share her thoughts with others and hear different points of view.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m able to share my ideas and my creativity with others,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cI think it\u2019s important to get everybody\u2019s perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the ceremony, Taylor interviewed Lacy inside the new studio, asking what he hoped people would take away from the space.<\/p>\n
His answer focused on the next generation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2026 young people need these vehicles,\u201d Lacy said. \u201cOld guys like me, we had our time, so what can I do to help empower you?\u201d<\/p>\n
For Lacy, the studio is more than a memorial. It is a way to ensure his daughter\u2019s story is remembered not only for how her life ended, but for the promise she carried and the impact she hoped to make.<\/p>\n
Addressing the students, he offered a final message of encouragement.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll three of y\u2019all got an impact you gonna make,\u201d he said. \u201cBelieve that, believe that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By CBS Bay Area Nearly three decades after losing his daughter to gun violence, Donald Lacy returned to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":503812,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[143,145,144],"class_list":["post-503811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/503811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=503811"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/503811\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/503812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=503811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=503811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=503811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}