The death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols gained national attention after he was brutally beaten by Memphis police.
The incident occurred on “ January 7, 2023, at approximately 8:30 p.m., officers in the area of Raines Road and Ross Road attempted to make a traffic stop for reckless driving,” police said in their statement released on Jan. 8.
Nichols, a skateboarder with a passion for photography was remembered at his memorial service on Feb. 1, “A good person, a beautiful soul, a son, a father, a brother, a friend, a human being, gone too soon, denied the dignity of his humanity, denied the right to see the sun set another day.”
Nichols’ love for photography is ever present in his portfolio in the form of a website. In an ‘about’ section titled, “Welcome to The World Through My Eyes”, Nichols wrote, “Hey guys, my name is Tyre D. Nichols. I am an aspiring photographer. Well I mostly do this stuff for fun but I enjoy it very much.” He went on to say, “Photography helps me look at the world in a more creative way. It expresses me in ways I cannot write down for people.”
In his original portfolio, Nichols posted photos of a range of landmarks and nature including sunsets, bridges, railroads, restaurants and street signs.
“I take different types of photography, anywhere from action sports to rural photos, to bodies of water and my favorite.. landscape photography.” Nichols wrote.
While Nichols worked at FedEx, he also had a tattoo of his mother’s name and 4-year old son according to npr.
“My vision is to bring my viewers deep into what I am seeing through my eye and out through my lens. People have a story to tell why not capture it instead of doing the “norm” and writing it down or speaking it.” Nichols said, “I hope to one day let people see what I see and to hopefully admire my work based on the quality and ideals of my work. So on that note, enjoy my page and let me know what you think.”
Nichols featured a quote from Joel Strasser, “A good photographer must love life more than photography itself.”
Along with a video of Nichols skateboarding in various locations, civil rights advocate and attorney, Ben Crump tweeted, “This is who Tyre Nichols was — a talented and dedicated skateboarder with SO much life left to live… He didn’t deserve to be tragically taken from his family and community! We will continue to fight for accountability for you Tyre! #JusticeForTyreNichols.”
“It was just nice to see something positive instead of negative and to be able to remember him in a good light,” Latosha Stone, owner of Proper Gnar, the first Black women owned skateboard company, told USA Today.
“He was one of those people who made everyone around them happy,” said Lucille Washington, Nichols’ step-grandmother, in a statement to ABC News in Memphis
Skateboarding communities across Memphis have held tributes for Nichols.
And, according to Action News 5 Memphis, Nichols had been skating since he was six years old.
