The State of Black Skate

Love it! Yay for the skate community.

Unbelievable... its not all just suburban white kids who talk and dress like morons and listen to the worst bands in history. Remember when skateboarding was a cool, underground sport? I don't. All there is these days is the multimillion dollar companies, crappy bands, and more multimillion dollar companies. You can't look at a "skater" these days and not see more logos and brand names than a Nascar. Brands brands brands. Way to ruin a sport/lifestyle/mode of transportation. I hope it never happens to airsoft.

this was a badass video !

The skaters of color? Sounds like something Jesse would say.

this is true to life,the descriptions of people's criticisms are so true.the film quality is really good too!

So how come Jesse isn't out there making a speech? How come Al isn't mustering up a protest walk? How come Jeremiah isn't trying to find a way to blame it on the white race? Hats off to Lupe Fiasco.

Wtf!? Skate boarding is not a fad. Skating is more than just a recreational pass time, skating is a lifestyle; a way of life.

It seems for me to be more like freedom of expression. Like dancing, everybody does it different and that is what I call style.

Some skate vert, some skate street but it doesn't matter what you wear or how you wear it neat, all that really matters is how you're moving your feet.

Thats what I'm saying. I have never seen anyone that I would call a real skater, just brandwagon kids covered in logos who fail every time they attempt even the easiest of tricks.

any person with a deck under their feet enjoying themselves , and skating , is a real skater - period .

This is a great mini documentary of the life as a black skater. I went through many of the ridicules and discrimination just as these folks did too, it's ridiculous. Skating is for everybody and it's been for everybody before "Kick Push" (Still mad credit for Lupe for making that track though). To the folks in this video keep rollin', you're doing BIG things, and for all of those who are scared, its time to rise up!

I think it's funny that the group that's telling them not to skate is black and the white people who are skating aren't saying anything to push them out. They judge them based on their talent and that, for this type of deal, is how they should be judged.

Great pod. Thanks for creating it. I often wonder about such things.

luvvvv it in you face tony hawk!!!!black people can do kick flips to!

I like this piece because its trying to knock down long-lived stereotypes in the black community.On tv black people only get shown in a very small scope of athletes or trouble makers and I think this video helps to try to show people(who didnt know prior somehow,even today) that people have basically the same interests and if you like to skate....then skate...easy right?

Where's Darrell, Antwuan Dixon, and Clyde Singleton... there are tons of black professional skateboarders.

This is my favorite pod its so true.I thought me and my guys were the only ones to noticed that in the black community how skateboarding became a trend but we had been doing it for years and got clowned for it but now its cool.Big Ups whoever made this one

While I do like it's when racial stereotypes are broken down, skating is still something that is unnecessary. Think about it, the whole activity is revolving around destruction, the deck its self is made of trees, you grind stone and tables, you rip up shoes and jeans, building vast concrete flooring, and lastly you break your self. I understand there is a lot of romanticism of this in the scene (skating is about falling and getting back up), but honestly, doing some sort of martial art (or even a sport like free running), is less destructive to Earth.

We have one Earth, there is not enough shitte to destroy. I agree you could say I'm directing the "consume less, live more" speech to the wrong crowd, because these are under privileged kids, but take a look around. Skating is dead, it's been killed by Nike and all those conglomerates. There are the X-Games for shitte sake that are supposed to help sell more junk that will be discarded and burned.

Go join a guerrilla gardening cell if you want to be cool, or even a street art crew. Skating has really no practical purpose either. It doesn't even help you that much because of the destruction.

This is all coming from a former skater of 8 years. I thought through it, just like I saw through religion. The pod asks an important question: why do you skate? Seriously, for what? How long can you keep it up? How much money will you make Nike and all those fashion pushers?

And don't mean to be such a hater, but Lupe is Mainstream garbage. Keep art non- corporate, support your local and independent artists, but not Lupe, the dude is signed to Reebok clothing shitte.

XVX for life, R.A.S.H. 'til death.

Word, If you do something rather its a sport or a hobby do it because its something you love to do. I hate it when people only do it because its the coolest and latest thing out.

if youre a skater, then it dont matter what color skin you are. if you skate cos its the latest thing, your not a skater, your a copy cat haha

this is racist.

for the fact its an isolation of an ethnicity. whether this or anything for that matter separates a group by race, in a positive or negative way, its racist.

im tired of it. it needs to stop.

all of it.

I'm black, I skate, and I've been doing it for about 6years now. I went through the whole "skating is only for white kids" before and it didn't phase me. It doesnt phase me now either. The only thing thats gets on my nerves is the whole "Star Trak" poser movement that pharrell and his icecream brand started. Skate because you love to skate, not because its "whats hot" right now.

JA, great pod. I know how long you've been waiting for this to go live... Props are due to you. It's people expressing themselves in a positive way. And for that, the subjects of the film deserve daps.

Black people have been skating. This is not new to me, when I am skating with people I don't even think about what color they are. Same for when I play music with people. I don't even see it, we're all brothers, so I am waiting for the day when I am not seeing videos geared toward a certain race and what they do. We're all people so we're all the same.

yeah its true, anything thats underground and recives corporate notariety is almost always automaticly tainted and ruined, but that will never happen to skateboarding. unlike airsofting skateboarding is an actuall lifestyle. its more of a way to dress or just a means of getting around, its a way of life. you have to have dedication patience and a a sence of rebelion to be a true skater. you have to be willing to fall, break bones, get arrested, and get made fun on for it. especially if your black, which is what this pod is about!

lupe did open up the doors for black skaters getting acceptance, but he didnt hold it open....he dosent even really skate, theres nothing wrong with appriciating the culture, jst make sure u can represent it affectivley.

airsoft is a bunch of guys running around playing pretend shootem up while skatboarding is somthing that takes more then just equiptment and nothing to do to be a part of.
its a lifestlye
its a means of expression
its an art
its an escape
its more than wood and wheels
its an extention of the soul

RIP HAROLD HUNTER
LEGENDS NEVER DIE

Anybody know the music used in this pod?