As members of the global skateboarding community, we have come together to make a collective commitment to actively resist and challenge systemic racism in our own scenes, organizations, the skateboard industry, and wider society.

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Skateboarding and skateboarding-based social programs should always be safe spaces where everyone can thrive. Yet, we recognize that we operate within social and organizational systems that are larger than us. We recognize power relationships exist and we are mindful of how racism can take many forms, overt and covert or “micro”. We see it as our duty to put in the work to co-create spaces and areas of influence that are: welcoming, empowering, representative, and committed to racial equity for all individuals – particularly those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC), and all racialized peoples that experience discrimination against their ethnicity or religion.

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This Commitment recognizes that our security is linked to the safety of all oppressed people, and our shared joy and power are dependent on all of us working together to create a world free from xenophobia, racism, bigotry, and associated systems of oppression. 

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We know that the experiences and impact of color-based racism, cultural discrimination, colonialism, anti-Indigenous policies, antisemitism, and Islamophobia are interconnected and that we can’t address one of these without addressing all of them. Racism can express itself differently in each context and is experienced differently by each individual. We acknowledge that these experiences of racism are also impacted by the complex intersection between gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and faith.

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AS SIGNATORIES:

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We aim to actively provide pathways and establish spaces where all voices are heard, valued, and have support and access to resources to contribute fully to the skateboarding community. We also aim to support each other in the work of challenging systemic racism that may appear at our skateparks, in our media, in our organizational structures, in skate programs that we run, and in the skateboard industry. We also commit to co-creating spaces for learning and accountability for people with social privilege and especially racial or ethnic privilege. We agree to set a positive public example by acting in a manner that supports this vision of equity in skateboarding.

 

BY SIGNING ON TO THIS COMMITMENT WE, THE SKATEBOARDING COMMUNITY, AGREE TO THESE GUIDELINES FOR TACKLING RACISM TOGETHER:
 

• We are committed to learning about and challenging all types of systemic racism that affect skateboarding and fellow skateboarders, either directly or indirectly.

• Together, we acknowledge the emotional labor, expertise, and valuable time of those oppressed by systemic racism.

• We recognize that it is our collective responsibility to do the work to educate ourselves about privilege and racism.

• We welcome feedback and are open to change and learning.

• We will endeavor to replace defensiveness and reaction with listening and reflecting.

• We encourage people to be open and share about our experiences with systemic racism if we feel safe to do so in order for the community to improve on this matter.

• We recognize that we can only achieve progress if we let ourselves be vulnerable as we move toward equity. As with skateboarding, we have to be willing to potentially make mistakes and learn from them.

• We work to make space for each other and try to encourage one another to contribute to our collective knowledge-building and action.

• We are focused on the goal of dismantling racism and prejudice in the skateboarding community and industry worldwide.

WE AGREE to hold each other accountable and support each other to challenge racism and build equity in skateboarding.

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WHO CAN SIGN? All skateboarders, skate shops, brands, social skate projects, skateparks, media, and anyone else who is a part of the skate community and wants to fight to end racism. Signing this Commitment does not mean the work is done – it is only the beginning of the serious work we must do to abide by the principles and actions within it.  Download the Anti-Racism Commitment PDF here.