Skateboarders around the globe were appalled after Chad Muska declined his skateboarding hall of fame induction earlier this year. However, for the love and respect to one of the living legends. Muska offered his spot to Kareem Campbell in a very classy move that no one saw it coming.
To give everyone a background of what "Skateboarding Hall of Fame" is. It is an institution honoring the achievements of individuals skaters and cultural icons' dedication and contributions to skateboarding's history and culture throughout the decades.
"With great thought I would like to announce that I am respectfully declining my induction into the Skateboarding Hall Of Fame this year." Muska says. I believe there is a global awakening taking place and I find it only right to also respectfully suggest that you allow Kareem Campbell to take my place."
"I know Kareem would of made it in the Hall Of Fame without this suggestion, but I truly believe that now is the time to show the world the racial boundaries that Skateboarding, especially “Street Skateboarding” breaks." Muska continues. "I have traveled this world my entire life connecting with the most beautiful yet insanely diverse group of humans called skateboarders, our industry needs to celebrate and better represent this diversity in our institutions, business and media."
Muska continue saying "In no way is this an attack on The Skateboarding Hall Of Fame or any other media outlet, it’s just something I truly believe will be positive for the image of skateboarding and this world. Kareem Campbell was such an influence and mentor to me, although I am not black, Hip Hop culture has always been a major part of my life, Kareem was one of the first skaters that felt like he was one of my friends and not some untouchable pro, but he just happened to be the best skater in the world!"
"The music he put in his videos, the team of skaters he formed, the shoes he designed and the company’s he built were the blue print for everything I went on to do."
After the Chad Muska's post, Reem did reply via his official Instagram account.
"bruh I am so honored and humble by your gesture and gratitude. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. My HOF moment will surely come and if not I already feel it because of the love and respect you have always shown." Reem says. "All politics to the side, you deserve this HOF induction and I proudly stand with you always and forever my brother. You are what skateboarding is and the true meaning of a skateboarder and friend. Much love and i am with you to the moon and back. Your friend, family and supporter you are amazing."
In the recent interview of Chad Muska from Late Boomers podcast, he eventually goes on the record why he declined his skateboarding hall of fame.
"It's something that I have not spoken publicly too much after I did it, it was really something that came from my heart and so street skateboarding influenced street culture on a whole, from streetwear to music." Muska said. "And all of these things were birthed from 90s skateboarding and this happened in this time period and so skateboarding for so long was a predominantly white, Southern California-based sport, hobby, lifestyle; whatever you want to call it. And for many years, there were not many ethnicities that were partaking in this sport."
"In the 90s, a whole group of street skaters came along that were Black, Mexican, Asian, all across the map. All of a sudden, skateboarding became this racially diverse, financially diverse, globally diverse. Everybody started skateboarding." Muska continues. "So it was very important to me that if an institution like the Skateboarding Hall of Fame exists, that it properly represents the racial diversity within skateboarding. And I felt at the time, that it did not reflect that at all, especially from my era."
He added, "And so I declined my induction to the Skateboarding Hall of Fame this year because given the state of the world, and the light that has been shining of the importance of what's happening in our culture with white, black, Hispanic, all this stuff, there's racism either be in our culture that needs to be addressed and it needs to be done as soon as possible. For myself this was the best thing that I could do: offer my position to a black professional street skateboarder, Kareem Campbell; who was my mentor coming up; who designed footwear before me; who started his own company before me."
Take a listen to the podcast above and as always Muska never fails to entertain us with his video parts and music. Reem deserves the spot as well. Kudos to the two iconic skateboarders holding it down for all of us.