Color the Water is changing the surf narrative in southern California — from the territorial and exclusive Blue Crush-esque scene to an inclusive community where people of color are stoked to paddle out, catch waves, and connect with their power in the ocean.
Lizelle Jackson is the force behind that change. A former collegiate athlete, it wasn’t until her 20’s that she dove into the sport. Often the sole Black woman surfer on the coast of southern California fighting for every wave, she faced head-on the lack of representation and safe space for people of color in the sport.