Philly skaters hold a vigil for Tyre Nichols: ‘We’re here to represent someone who was just like us’

As Mayowa Ogun tightened the rainbow-colored laces on his black roller skates, he thought about the moments after he learned about the death of Tyre Nichols, a young Black man who was fatally beaten by Memphis police officers last month. “I didn’t want to look,” he said.

Ogun, 31, couldn’t bring himself to watch the brutal video of Nichols’ death or engage with the news coverage surrounding it. It was just too painful, especially since Nichols was a Black man who loved to skate, just like Ogun. But that didn’t mean that Ogun wanted to ignore Nichols or those speaking out against police brutality.

“It could be any one of us.”

So, on Sunday, Ogun and other skaters met at Paine’s Park to find community with each other and hold a vigil for Nichols. They skated, blasted Run the Jewels and Lupe Fiasco music from two speakers, ate Cheez-Its, and talked.

“I just wanted to come out and show my support [and be] with other people,” Ogun said, before buckling his helmet and skating off.

D’Auriel Epiphany, who uses gender-neutral xe/xem/xyr pronouns, helped organize the gathering through xyr queer-centric skating group, Rolling with the Homos. Epiphany, 28, partnered with the activist group Food Not Bombs to put the event together. Xe wanted to give people a space to process their emotions about Nichols and police violence however they needed to, whether it be through skating, speaking out, or just being with their community.

“It’s frustration, sadness, pain, grief,” Epiphany said. “We talk about [these things] every time someone passes away [like Nichols] ... nothing has really changed and that’s very frustrating and heartbreaking.”

“[It’s] frustrating that a human life was lost over just being Black.”

» READ MORE: The Tyre Nichols video and the overdue promise of police reform

One attendee, who goes by Vanessa Mora, said that the smaller, more intimate, relaxed atmosphere at the skatepark, located near the Art Museum, is why she came on Sunday. Larger-scale protests against police brutality were more emotional and intimidating for her, but this sort of gathering was much more accessible. It made it easier to show up for Nichols and against police brutality.

“Those feel like [they] have to happen when there’s something tragic that happens,” she said about protests. “This is just one of those events I can see people.”

“It’s welcoming.”

After Jared Griffin took a break from his skateboard, he smiled and called out to his friends across the park who were skating and doing tricks of their own. “As somebody in the community, it’s important to come out,” he said. “It’s important that people see that other people care. I don’t intend on speaking, but it empowers people when [others] are listening.”

Griffin recalled watching the video of Nichols’ death. It was so violent that he warned some of his friends not to watch. “I have a hard time processing it ... that’s somebody that also skated and that makes it really real for me,” he said.

After an hour of skating and catching up with each other, the skaters gathered around the steps of Paine’s Park while Bryce Patterson took the microphone and asked for a moment of silence. Then, Patterson spoke to his community about Nichols, policing in America, and the emotions he and others were feeling at that moment.

“It could be any one of us,” he said. Late last month, Patterson painted a portrait of Nichols in an effort to humanize the man that was denied humanity. “We’re here to represent someone who was just like us,” he said.

While Patterson spoke, he connected Nichols’ death to that of Tortuguita, an activist protesting the construction of Atlanta’s “Cop City” complex who was also killed by police. “We need to think about that. It tells us something ... [police] will never be for us,” Patterson said.

After Patterson finished, the skaters moved over from the steps to the impromptu memorial built at the park for Nichols. Four tall candles were set on top of a skateboard deck, the space marked off by thick tree branches.

One skater lit the candles, cupping the flame of a lighter with their hands while the rest of the group stood by. In silence, they watched the candles burn gently before the wind blew them out.