A MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY FROM HHF

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As an organization founded in memory of a Black skateboarder, run by a staff of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), and serving predominantly BIPOC youth in NYC, we have struggled to find the words to express the range of overwhelming emotions we have experienced over the last two weeks.
 
While we are most known for the work we do providing scholarships to skate camp and creating positive skateboarding events and opportunities for skaters in NYC, supporting our staff and the youth we serve to manage the unrelenting challenges they face with police has been an important part of our work.
 
Each of us on the HHF staff has had our own personal dehumanizing experiences with police misconduct and brutality. According to our 2016 needs assessment of NYC skaters, and subsequent surveys of youth involved in HHF programming, 86% of the Black youth we serve report having had encounters with police.
 
Just last fall, we helped two Black skaters from the HHF community begin to navigate the long and difficult process of filing formal complaints, and potentially pursuing lawsuits, against NYPD officers for two separate and unrelated, deeply traumatic incidents of police brutality they experienced. These incidents happened in a single month.
 
Despite being a small organization with an extremely lean staff and budget, we have always worked to provide all HHF youth with support and advocacy to help them navigate a biased criminal justice system and school to prison pipeline, including:
 

• Writing letters of support and testifying in school suspension hearings.
• Connecting skaters with Legal Aid lawyers and social workers for consultation.
• Writing character letters for court appearances.
• Providing workshops on knowing their rights and handling interactions with police.
• Showing up to support youth in court and paying court fees.
• Acting as a liaison with the Civilian Community Review Board for skaters who want to file complaints against police.
• Providing a safe space where skaters can talk about their experiences.

 
As we work to transition to a more outreach-based model in 2021 and beyond, we are committed to making these resources available to as many skaters in NYC as possible.
 
We are filled with pride to see so many skaters standing up against police violence and brutality all around the world. We stand in solidarity with them and hope you will join us because...

Black Lives Matter.
Black Dreams Matter.
Black Futures Matter.

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