City Halts Plans For First Skatepark In Predominantly Black Neighborhood In West Baltimore

By ● Community ● October 7, 2022 ● 43 Comments
Ribbon cutting ceremony for a playground in Easterwood Park. Photo by Maryland GovPics via Flickr.

What’s happening?

Baltimore City shelved plans to build a 9,000-square-foot skatepark in Easterwood, a predominantly Black neighborhood in West Baltimore, and will instead fund new basketball courts and walking paths, Billy Jean Louis reports for the Baltimore Sun. 

There are currently no other skateparks in West Baltimore or in any predominantly Black neighborhoods in Baltimore. The nearest are over three miles away in Carroll Park and Hampden.

Why did the city decide to forego the skatepark? 

Plans for the skatepark originated in 2018, when West Baltimore community activist, Marvin L. “Doc” Cheatham, and Stephanie Murdock, president and founder of nonprofit group Skatepark of Baltimore, partnered with the city’s recreation and parks department. 

Though some Easterwood residents support the construction of the skatepark, others pushed for improvements to the park’s existing facilities and additional fitness opportunities, according to the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks’ director, Reginald Moore. 

Skatepark proponents assembled at City Hall to protest the city’s decision on Monday. Also on Monday, the Baltimore Brew published an op-ed by Murdock and West Baltimore skateboarder, Sosii Brown, in which Brown said, “This is the plight of the Black skater. Having to take risks just to find a place to skate. Having nowhere to skate in our own neighborhoods. Nowhere to gain a sense of acceptance. Nowhere to be around like-minded individuals.”

Anything else I should know? 

Officials originally announced the suspension of the skatepark construction in June, and the parks department discussed it again at a meeting in July. 

Read more here.

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43 thoughts on “City Halts Plans For First Skatepark In Predominantly Black Neighborhood In West Baltimore”

  1. Melodie

    I was a young girl growing up around the Riverside Park neighborhood. The parks and recreation dept. built a skateboard bowl inside the park. It stayed a few months then was covered in by the city. Not sure if it’s true, we were told the city filled it back in because they could get sued if anybody got hurt. Does anybody know if this was true?

    Reply
  3. zoritoler imol

    Really Appreciate this blog post, is there any way I can get an email sent to me every time you write a new post?

    Reply
  14. T.R.

    Having a Skatepark here is not the best idea. Who would this really benefit? Definitely not the children that are currently there. I work in this community daily for years and have NEVER seen a child on a skateboard. We need to accommodate the children that live in this community and have activities, and outlets that they can relate to and feel safe doing. Putting a skate park here is a want of someone not what these kids in this community need. You gotta be able to relate to the families already there and skate park is not relatable .

    Reply

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