A Berkeley Skate Jam Honors Victims of Gun Violence, Pushes for Solutions

In the East Bay, one mother, backed by family and community, has done wonders to keep her late son’s legacy alive.

Her push has had local impact, leading to the renaming of a skatepark in West Berkeley. Her work has also added to the larger discussion about gun violence in America.

Florence McCrary’s son, the beloved 22-year-old skater and artist Terrence “T-Mack” McCrary Jr., was killed by a stray bullet on Aug. 14, 2016 while attending a party in downtown Oakland.

The shooting also took the life of T-Mack’s former schoolmate, Craig Fletcher-Cooks. In the years since, McCrary, her family and the larger community have made it a point to both celebrate life and work toward change.

Friends, family members and even young skaters who never met T-Mack carry on his legacy. His name has been inscribed on walls by miscellaneous taggers, and he’s been honored by major skate brands. This past summer, a skatepark in West Berkeley was dedicated in his honor. This Saturday, Sept. 13, that park will play host to the 9th annual T-Mack Skate Jam. 

The yearly event brings out skaters of all sorts, serving as a reminder that T-Mack found solace while on his board — and he’s not the only one. Unfortunately, as in many facets of American life, gun violence can interrupt even the peace that comes from landing kickflips and ollies.

But McCrary says that the annual skate jam, and the park itself, are steps toward making a change.

After the Berkeley City Council unanimously voted to rename the park in December 2024, on June 21 of this year, there was an official renaming and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Terrence McCrary Jr. Memorial Skate Park.

During the celebration, McCrary, surrounded by supporters in T-Mack shirts, took a few minutes to pose for pictures in front of the new sign with her son’s name.

Outside of the West Berkeley park’s gates, McCrary gave extended embraces to the late skater’s friends, as well as women she’s met who’ve also lost children to gun violence.

This sense of community has motivated McCrary to become an advocate. “I’ve gone to Washington D.C., along with my husband, and we’ve gone to Congress,” she says.

At June’s ceremony, former Oakland City Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney was in attendance. She’s a mother who knows the depths of mourning a child. Gibson McElhaney’s son, talented drummer and music student Victor McElhaney, was shot and killed in 2019 when a group of men attempted to rob him near the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles.

“We commiserate together,” says McCrary of Gibson McElhaney. “It’s great to have her support.”

Gibson McElhaney has also done political work on gun violence prevention; along with Donald Lacy, she coined Oakland’s motto, “Love life.”

McCrary echoes that sentiment.

“People need to cling to life,” she says.

She spoke to legislators about this idea during her trip to Washington D.C., and it’s something she’s shared with local and state representatives. But McCrary says the people who really need to hear that message are those who turn to violence out of anger, frustration and fear.

Mass shootings with three or more victims happen nearly every other day in this country. McCrary says just as much attention should go toward incidents where one or two individuals are shot — like the one that resulted in her son’s death.

“Our numbers are massive,” she reflects.

McCrary follows with a rhetorical question: “How do we start to get different kinds of messaging and narratives out there that can cause young ones to want to live and have a life that’s more abundant?”

She believes it revolves around holding space.

“This community event is an opportunity for us,” says McCrary, “to share with others that there are other things — alternative choices — one can make. … And here’s one in skating.”

Elaborating on the location’s significance, McCrary mentions the park was where T-Mack first worked as a teenager. It was also a place he’d practice skating, “pushing himself to do his personal best,” says his mother. “Even in his passing, his name lives on at this park.”

The 9th annual T-Mack Skate Jam happens Saturday, Sept. 13 in Berkeley at Terrence McCrary Jr. Memorial Skate Park (711 Harrison St., Berkeley).