‘Head Skater-in-Charge’: Talking Parks with Parisite Skatepark’s Johnny Brasley
This DIY skatepark in Gentilly is leveraging the power of well-maintained public recreational space to connect locals.
Behind This Story | The following story featured in “My Park, My Place, My Peace,” a multimedia series geared at sparking a broader conversation about the history of local parks and recreation, and what it looks like to ensure our public green space serves Black and brown communities well into the future. Want to see more stories like this one? Support Lede New Orleans and its community-centered reporting by becoming a supporting donor.
By Frederick Quinn & Nala Henderson
We got the chance to talk with Johnny Brasley, director of Parisite DIY Skatepark off Paris Avenue, about the importance of having public spaces that people of color can easily access. Public greenspace and recreational space is less about the land it sits on and more about the community that gathers there and uses it.
Brasley points to Parisite DIY Skatepark as an example. Brasley, who was born and raised in New Orleans, fell in love with skateboarding and skate culture as a young person playing video games, specifically “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” on PlayStation. He picked up a skateboard at 17 years old and started practicing. Brasley said being able to land tricks after failing and failing tested his mental fortitude and his will. His passion for skateboarding grew.
That passion led to his work with Parisite DIY Skatepark. In 2008, Brasley and other skaters got together to build their own skatepark after years of unsuccessful attempts to get the city to invest in a public skatepark. When the city bulldozed the original DIY park in 2012, the group was determined to rebuild and started advocating at City Hall for support of the project.
“As I got older and had kids, I realized this was something that helped me out as a child,” Brasley said. “I thought, why not give back to the space when the opportunity was presented to me?”
After a long battle at City Hall, Parisite was granted permits and space to build a city-sanctioned skatepark in 2015. Its current spot off Paris Avenue in Gentilly is now a destination for local skaters and artists.
Brasley now serves as “Head-Skater-in-Charge” at the park. His larger mission? Transform blighted areas into safe and accessible recreational spaces. Parisite is designed to build a sense of community, Brasely said. People who attend the park might feel “different” within the larger community, but they create a bond through their love of skateboarding, he added.
Skateboarding “is a unique individual interaction, but you’re able to do it together and cheer each other on in your individuality,” Brasley said.
Shared space, in turn, connects people to the community at a deeper level. For Brasley, that’s the power of well-maintained and cared for public spaces–they can support a community and give people the freedom to be themselves.
“It’s a love-hate relationship at times, but the impact and instant gratification from working with the kids and seeing them grow and develop makes it all worth it,” Brasley said.
Frederick Quinn (he/him) studies at the University of New Orleans and is pursuing a career in multimedia journalism. Quinn has interned at WGNO and WVUE Fox 8.
Nala Henderson (she/her) is an actor and director from New Orleans. She is a Summer 2024 Community Reporting Fellow with Lede New Orleans.
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