At any point on the Yard, a skateboarder can be heard whizzing by, or a roller skater can be seen artfully practicing their skills. 

Skate culture is no stranger to Black culture. Despite inadequate representation in the skating world, Black people have always gravitated towards it. Skateboarding, roller skating, and ice skating have always housed various types of Black people in search of expression and community. The Howard student population is no exception to this phenomenon.  

Skating has been linked to Black culture since the 1960s. A symbiotic relationship, born out of a need for Black people to creatively express themselves away from the restrictive barriers of society and discrimination. Skate culture has deep roots in counterculture— its aesthetics champion activism and expression. Pioneers like Ledger Smith are great examples of this intersection. Smith, also known as “Roller Man” was a semi-pro roller skater who skated 685 miles from Chicago to Washington, D.C. in 1963. His 10-day trip was first to the March on Washington and then to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s  “I Have a Dream” speech. His long and grueling journey symbolizes the hardships faced by Black Americans at the time.   

With the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington having just passed, it is important to recognize Smith’s merging of Blackness with a love of skating. A similar energy can be found here at Howard University. With three clubs dedicated to different forms of skating, there are more than enough ways for students to express themselves through these sports.  

Since the inception of the HU Skate Club and other skating clubs, more Bison have seem to have picked up a pair of skates. 

These sports have their challenges outside of racial representation. Starting with the ever-present Washington, D.C. heat, which has been reaching record numbers this summer, skaters can’t catch a break. Additionally, sharing the streets and sidewalks poses even more problems for these Bison on wheels.

Iy Savage, a senior English major from North Carolina, spent the summer in D.C. where they experienced a collision with a cyclist that caused a two-month break from riding their board. 

“It’s been two months since the accident, and I’m still not able to do anything apart from some light cruising because the leg that I pushed with was the leg that was injured. Even cruising is a bit much at the moment,” said Savage.

Injuries aren’t the only obstacles skaters must overcome. For skaters who commute, a break from their board can be quite an adjustment. Especially for those who use it as a primary source of transportation around the District. 

Tyson Gouché is a computer science major who commutes to campus on his skateboard from his home on 13th St. His main motivation for skating around campus is the hilly terrain, which he finds to be easier to endure on a board than by walking. 

“It’s faster than walking and easier than running…it’s a little bit dangerous but that’s life,” Gouchè said.

Gouché also presents skating as a cheaper option than the scooters available on campus. While it takes more effort and athleticism, it's a good option for students who need quick and easy transportation but are low on funds. 

MJ Waller, a skater and sophomore from Philadelphia also expressed how beneficial it is to skateboard on campus. 

“I used to ride my skateboard to class a lot. Even though the Yard doesn't seem that big, on a board you can get across it in .2 seconds and it's really convenient,” Waller said. 

For those considering picking up a skateboard or lacing up roller skates, Carter Whittaker, who has been skating since he was seven, shared a few words of advice.

“It’s a kinetic, creative, and practical way to explore the world and test my own limitations,” he said. “From daily lessons about the ironic simplicity of pushing past mental blocks to meeting new people in the skating community and redefining a space from an empty parking garage into a skate spot, there is always something magical happening when skating.”