Meet Audrey Faison | Founder and Program Director of Concrete Queenz

We had the good fortune of connecting with Audrey Faison and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Audrey, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
I am the Founder and Program Director of Concrete Queenz, a nonprofit that brings skateboarding and community to underserved girls in South LA. At Concrete Queenz, we believe that skateboarding can be a powerful tool for empowering underserved girls in South LA to be strong, independent, and confident. Our mission is to create a safe and inclusive space for girls to learn and practice skateboarding, while also building valuable life skills like leadership, teamwork, and communication. We envision a future where our program has successfully empowered hundreds of young women to pursue their passions, achieve their goals, and become leaders in their communities. Over the next five years, we hope to expand our reach to serve even more female athletes, and to become a leading voice for gender equality and social justice in the skateboarding community and beyond.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I’ve been teaching in the South LA community for the past 7 years with students from the communities of West Athens, Compton, and Watts. As a teacher, it has always been important to me to not only focus on academics but also on students’ social emotional needs as well as access to sports and community. As a skater, I recognized that skateboarding is a powerful tool for empowerment and self-expression for girls and women. In the communities I have worked in, I realized that there is a lack of safe and accessible spaces for girls and women to participate in skateboarding. I was able to identify several problems that I wanted Concrete Queenz to address:

-Girls are not provided with the same athletic opportunities as boys.
-There is a lack of Black, Indigenous, females of color represented in skateboarding.
-Underserved girls often do not have access to safe spaces to build community, learn, and grow.
-Underserved communities often do not have access to travel opportunities or the resources to learn about future career and educational opportunities.

Here is our solution:
-Weekly skateboarding programming
-Academic consultancy
-1 field trip per semester (Venice Skatepark, Compton Skatepark, The Berrics etc.)
-Community events with pro skater demos and advice from successful pro skater business owners
-Summer Scholarships at Woodward West Skate Camp
-Opportunities to participate in skate contests
-Opportunities to collaborate with organizations that provide social emotional learning, yoga, surfing, etc.
-Free merch from our sponsors and brand donors
*Every participant receives a skateboard, helmet, pads, and shoes (if needed)

Of course this is not easy work! We are proud of the fact that we have been able to provide programming to our participants through our perseverance with fundraising, connections with brands, and strong relationships with the local community of Compton. Providing access to skateboarding equipment, mentorship, and educational opportunities can be expensive, but we have worked to secure funding through various means, such as grant applications and fundraising events. Additionally, we have been fortunate enough to form strong connections with brands that share our mission of promoting diversity and inclusivity in the skateboarding community. Most importantly, we recognize the importance of building relationships with the local community of Compton, which has allowed us to gain trust and support for our programs. By working together with our community partners, we are able to provide girls in South LA with access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Of course we are going to focus on a skate trip in South LA! Here are some of our suggestions:

1. Compton Skatepark: Located in the heart of Compton, this skatepark features a unique design with a snake run, bowl, and street course. We held a community event there with the Compton Cowboys and Inner Black Yoga!
2. Serenity Park (Monitor) Skatepark: Located in Watts, this skatepark features a variety of obstacles, including a mini ramp, banks, stairs and rails. It also has a park to play on! We will be going on a field trip there later this year.
3. Venice Beach Skatepark: Although it’s not technically in South LA, the Venice Beach Skatepark is a must-visit destination for skaters in the Los Angeles area. The skatepark features a world-renowned bowl, as well as other obstacles such as a snake run, ledges, banks, and rails.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

Our shoutout goes out to all of the board members, volunteers, donors, and brand sponsors that have made our work with Concrete Queenz possible.

Volunteers, your commitment to the cause has been truly inspiring. By donating your time and expertise, you have helped empower girls and promote diversity in the skateboarding community. Your hard work has helped create a safe and inclusive space where girls can come together, have fun, and build lasting friendships. We could not do this without you!

Donors, your generosity has been crucial in allowing Concrete Queenz to continue providing girls in South LA with the tools and resources they need to thrive. Your contributions have helped fund programs that provide girls with access to skateboarding equipment, mentorship, travel opportunities and educational opportunities that they might not have otherwise had.

And to our brand sponsors, thank you for partnering with us and supporting our mission. Your contributions have helped raise awareness about the importance of promoting diversity and inclusivity in the skateboarding community, and have helped us provide even more opportunities for girls to participate in this amazing sport.

So to everyone who has helped support Concrete Queenz, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your contributions have helped us make a real difference in the lives of our participants, and we look forward to continuing our work together in the future!

Website: www.concretequeenz.org

Instagram: @concretequeenz

Image Credits
Victoria Craven