POSITIVE PICTURE

Black to front: bringing more people of colour into skateboarding

Words and photography by Hannah Bailey

Marie Mayassi, who describes herself as being “born in Paris but originally from Congo”, pushes along the smooth, f at ground of ueen lizabeth Olympic ar . hen she too up s ateboarding four years ago, she noticed straight away the scene’s lac of diversity. Representation is all you cannot be what you cannot see,” she said.

So, she resolved to be the change. Mayassi started Melanin S ate als and als a blac -led initiative aimed at increasing participation by people of colour. ere, Mayassi (far right) is pictured with Indigo King, Christana Amadi, and Marcia Mi nhi mer from the group.

By encouraging anyone who doesn’t feel li e they belong or are represented in the s ate community, we want to reshape, decolonise and de-gender s ate culture and the scene,” Mayassi said.

The group’s meetups, on the former Olympic grounds in east London, provide a safe space, a chance for more people to see skateboarding as something for them.

The sport has taken steps towards inclusivity over the past few years, with a huge increase in the number of women and girls participating (at one point it was the fastest-growing demographic in action sports), but a conversation about racism, intersectionality and representation is yet to happen properly.

Recently, Mayassi and her crew were photographed for a photographic series, To Balance is Trust, which showcased women and non-binary skaters and their stories.

“We wanted to show there’s not just one way to be a skater. Anyone with a board is a skater and no one should let people tell them otherwise,” Mayassi explained.

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