When Willie Davis, Jr. moved to East Oakland in 1981, he was a firefighter at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco. He says that that job, which he had for 25 years, required him to do “whatever it took to fix whatever was wrong with a ship.” After retiring from the Navy in 1990, Davis wandered into his neighborhood rec center and noticed that the center’s pool table was broken. He fixed the pool table, and the park’s staff were so grateful that they referred him to their coworkers at the Feather River Camp in Plumas County, which at that time was run by the City of Oakland. Even though he was retired, Davis worked at the camp every summer for the next 14 years. When the City stopped operating the camp in 2003, Davis was reassigned to Lincoln Square Park and Recreation Center in Chinatown, where he has worked as a Recreation Specialist ever since, for nearly 20 years now. People that know him through his work at Lincoln Square Park say that he provides a calm and comforting presence, and has the ability to effectively address conflict and repair relationships. Davis also fixes basketball nets, teaches sports, and maintains a vegetable garden at the park. His official title is recreation specialist, but he pretty much does it all. And this year, he is being recognized for being one of the beacons in Oakland Chinatown. Davis is one of six recipients throughout the nation to receive this year’s “Black Heroes of Chinatown” award, now in its third year. The honor is given out by People Matter, a community-based organization in Chicago that provides community services, political education, advocacy, and leadership development aimed at empowering urban communities. Davis was nominated for the award by Friends of Lincoln Square Park and the Wa Sung Community Service Club. Karen Dea of Wa Sung says that her organization often holds community events at the Lincoln Square rec center, and Davis is instrumental in the success of their events. She says that he helps with outreach and is passionate about growing and protecting the park as a multi-generational, multi-cultural, community-centered safe haven.