Indianapolis is home to a vibrant skateboarding community, as Nikki, the founder of Fluid Skate Collective, and her co-founder Echo can attest. Formerly known as Queer Skate Indy, the group took shape out of a desire to create a welcoming and politically engaged space. Nikki specializes in art and skateboarding, while Echo focuses on food security and advocacy. “I felt like there was a community missing within the skate community itself,” Nikki told the Hope Packages assembly volunteers this past Saturday. “They’ve kinda just stuck with doing their own skate parks and stuff, when in reality it needs to be getting in with local people in the city.”
This collaboration between Fluid Skate and Hope Packages marks our shared commitment to universal housing and food justice, as outlined in our 10-Point Program. Nikki and Echo are particularly passionate about Point Nine: Protecting Tenants and Residents. They have experienced the profound impacts of housing security firsthand, and they hope to make this accessible for everyone in Indianapolis.
“Skateboarding in itself is often seen as something that’s not political,” Echo explained. “We wanted to make the impact that we weren’t seeing in our communities.” The two skaters are doing just that. In the eight months since Fluid Skate’s founding, they have arranged swap meets, participated in art markets, and led a street cleanup at the Indianapolis Liberation Center. They have also participated in the Palestinian liberation struggle, hosting a fundraiser for the Palestine Children Relief Fund (PCRF). Most recently, Fluid Skate offered their time and expertise to Hope Packages for a discussion on the intersection of anti-LGBTQ bigotry and homelessness.
Sitting around a table of Hope Packages supplies, Nikki shared how she had been forced to leave a transphobic housing situation, while Echo recounted their experiences with food and housing insecurity in a conservative community. The pair’s strength and honesty sparked a conversation about the ways in which capitalism harms all people, regardless of identity. While LGBTQ youth are at disproportionate risk of homelessness, their goal is not simply to advocate for queer identities, but to liberate all people from an unjust system.
Hope Packages is excited to continue working with and learning from Nikki and Echo. Be on the lookout for a skateboard event and donation drive in the near future! You can support our work by making a one-time or recurring donation through the Hope Packages Sustainer program or sending us supplies for our monthly assemblies through our Amazon wish list. To get involved, reach out to Fluid Skate’s email or fill out Hope Packages’ volunteer form! As Nikki explains, “We just want to bring people together and skate, do art, have a community, and help everybody out.”
Volunteer for Hope Packages today!
Featured image: Members of Fluid Skate Collective, Touch Grass, Indy, and the Indianapolis Liberation Center. Credit: Indianapolis Liberation Center.
