https://www.instagram.com/p/CA78p96lkN_/
In solidarity with the protests resulting from the murder of George Floyd that have spread through major cities in the United States, and subsequently gone international, Na-Kel Smith took to Instagram Live last night to air out some of the racism that he’s experienced in skateboarding. Nak speaks on instances that have happened to him personally in vans on trips, during the editing process of videos, and dealing with various industry types. It’s an important and powerful statement that few have had the courage to address publicly. You have to applaud Nak for taking the initiative, as well as Kevin White and Mikey Alfred for joining in on the conversation. It should also be noted that F.A. put its money where its mouth is through donating $20,000 to Black Lives Matter. We encourage you to listen to the full 35 minutes above.
UPDATE 05.05.20: In the aftermath of Na-Kel’s now-viral I.G. Live, Tony Miorana, Julien Stranger, and Kyle Walker have all issued apologies regarding the things brought to light in in the video. You can view them below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA-fX67lKe5/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBBqafQJ5fG/