The San Francisco park is named after a Chinese woman who died a year after being attacked there

A Visitacion Valley park has been named after a great-grandmother who died from her injuries after being attacked in the park a year ago.

City officials, neighbors and the family of Yik Oi Huang of San Francisco unveiled the new sign Saturday afternoon that reads Yik Oi Huang Peace and Friendship Park.

A granddaughter of the victim, Sasanna Yee, led the chants of the victim’s name, “Yik Oi,” which means abundant love in Chinese.

The neighbors of Yee and Visitacion Valley wanted to turn the senseless loss into a victory.

“Abundant love was the theme,” said Diana Yee, a granddaughter of Huang. “(The renaming) is certainly a big step toward healing.”

Diana Yee said the attack struck fear and kept many Asian seniors away from the park.

“The community was really scared to come out in the morning to practice and reclaim the park. And so with the lion dancers, with the new name, it feels like a whole new park,” Diana Yee said.

Police say 18-year-old Keonte Gathron brutally beat 88-year-old Huang in the park in January 2019. Investigators said this was unprovoked. According to police, she died from her injuries a year later.

The great-grandmother lived in a beige house next to the park and exercised there every morning. The African American and Asian American communities united to push for the renaming after her death.

“There is a sense of victory and there is a sense of justice,” Sasanna Yee said.

“Everyone is coming together and not necessarily choosing to be divided as a result of this tragedy,” said Mayor London Breed.

Although Sasanna and Diana forgave the suspect and wanted restorative justice for him, they admitted that many of their family members were still divided and angry.

Diana hoped that positive energy, healing and abundant love would help her extended family find peace.

“The fact that I was even able to cry during this event meant a lot to me because I was distant,” Diana said.

Five years after the attack, the case was still pending in court. Prosecutors said attorneys had asked for more time to review evidence in the case.