In the words of Jay: Racism in NYC is really shitty. People think that you have to be a white kid to learn how to skate. Skating has no skin color. Just boards trucks barings and wheels.
Racism in NYC is really shitty, but i don't think it is necessarily true that this city breeds it through skateboarding. If anything it defies it. Truth is skating here you will encounter probably one of the most diverse communities in the city, I guess. Where the racism really stems from is MTV, Toys R Us, Zumies, Woodwards, and the whole institution for the matter. The image created by commercialism, the tony hawks and shecklers. Yes racism is present in all of our classrooms, shops, law enforcement units; all part of NYC naturally. But maybe here in NYC skateboarding has become a form of defiance to this fucked up system that reeks of institutional racism, classims, sexism ect. We don't have perfect spots, good parks, that many pro's, but what it is, is real.
When was the last time you saw a black kid at Woodward, only about 9 the whole summer and they were all sent through the Harold Hunter foundation. That's my point, I mean Harold Hunter, that dude was New York.
Maybe this sounds cliche, like "skateboarding rebellion, up the punx!" but i think it is, its freedom, its anarchy, its defiance, and it should never become a sport and never should be in the Olympics, or it will become an institution with unwritten rules like everything else.
1 comment:
i envy your intellect, miss gil.
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