In Pittsburgh, a diverse community of skaters joined the movement against police violence following the May 25 killing of George Floyd. For Black skaters like Emmanuel Davis, skating has long been a source of expression and lately has served as an outlet for activism.

During protests this summer, local skaters called for justice for Antwon Rose II, a fellow skater who was killed by a police officer in East Pittsburgh. Former officer Michael Rosfeld was charged with murder but acquitted last year, and the tragedy of Rose’s death immediately resonated with Davis. “That’s kind of why I’ve gotten into activism a little bit more, just trying to expose everything that’s going on,” he said.

Nick Childers is a Pittsburgh-based visual journalist and filmmaker. He can be reached at nick@nickchilders.com.

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