Darlene Lee dedicated her life to making her community a place where all felt welcome and safe. She served as the unofficial Oakland Chinatown historian, and helped new immigrants find a sense of home in the neighborhood. From Tiny Tot students to at-risk teens struggling with life, Darlene nurtured rootedness in the lives of the youth to whom she served as a mother figure. As a friend to the homeless and elderly, and in seeing children as human beings rather than as problems, Darlene’s compassion made everyone feel loved. She never let others’ negative comments about her being Chinese, poor, or a woman, diminish her pride in her heritage or who she was.

Please click here to read the three-page excerpt of a 2007 interview with Darlene Lee to learn more about her thoughts on Oakland’s Chinatown.

Darlene believed in herself, her family, friends and community.

She believed in the power of the imagination to change lives – the life she imagined for herself was to serve her family and community.

In fulfilling that dream, the hope and responsibility that "Mrs. Lee" instilled in those whose lives she touched will continue to influence the world for generations to come.

What dreams do you have for yourself and your community?

Apply today for a Darlene A. Lee Community Service Scholarship and let it inspire you to accomplish your goals.