Did you know? In 1983, President Ronald Reagan declared October National Roller Skating Month in the United States.
Roller skating was more than just a fun pastime, it was a cultural cornerstone in Black communities, deeply connected to both civil rights and the evolution of popular music. Segregation at the rinks failed to stop the culture from thriving; in fact, Black skaters would create their own opportunities where the moves and the music would eventually impact our entire culture!
For example:
When hip hop artists were often barred from performing at mainstream venues, roller rinks welcomed them, giving the music a stage and a fanbase.
Many hit dance records were first discovered at the rink. If the skate DJs were spinning a track, it was a sign it was hot, often propelling it to radio and wider audiences.
The more you know!
This is a long read but probably one of the BEST and most comprehensive articles on the impacts of roller skating on culture. I’m so glad electronicbeats.net put it back online.
I designed this in 2022 for 6th Ave Skating Place, one of the country’s only permanent outdoor roller skating spaces. Most Sundays, it feels like a family reunion: music, movement, and generations together on wheels.
Fun fact: The mural wasn’t painted. It was built using colored asphalt to preserve the smooth surface skaters need, while also ensuring durability. That technical feature shaped the minimalist design.
It’s pretty cool to know this piece is now visible from orbit. Welcome alien overlords!
If you’re visiting San Francisco, make sure to stop by!
Since stepping away from social media, sharing fun skating articles and videos isn’t as easy as it used to be. But that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped. I’ll try to share them here instead.
I had the pleasure of meeting Terrence and Ellen at Skate-a-thon a few years ago. If you live in the area, you should definitely look them up! RollTrain.com
The refrain of “Why does it matter?” from some white skaters has been echoing across social media lately, often dismissing reminders of black roller skating culture and its creators. It’s essential to understand the significance of preserving accurate roller skating history and the far-reaching consequences of this problematic reaction.
We know that skating has existed for hundreds of years and has taken on many forms. But we need to acknowledge that the people being celebrated on TikTok right now aren’t typically skating like Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, they are skating more like Bill Butler, a black man who played a huge role in giving roller skating its modern flavor, and popularity – but is largely unknown to most.
So, let’s talk about why it’s easy for some of us to take this issue for granted.
The Significance of Names & Creators
Dismissing the importance of named routines, techniques, creators, and history erases the experiences and contributions of black skaters who have nurtured this activity and culture decades before the 2020 pandemic.
When their creative work is changed or relabeled to appease or appeal to different audiences without their input, it impacts their ability to receive the recognition, opportunities, and financial compensation they deserve.
Sometimes Black skaters are even forced to perpetuate the altered versions in order to preserve the small amount of opportunity that is available to them, which sadly makes the problem worse.
Screenshot from a video picturing Rollerdance Man Richard Humphrey with the title: “The origins of the Downtown?” The video attempts to clarify the true name and creator of these foundational roller dance moves. The video was produced by a popular skating company who built an entire brand from a whitewashed version of roller skating.
Of course, extensive knowledge of skate history isn’t necessary for a fun day at the rink or the park, but being open to corrections about misinformation is important, especially when creating media content or sharing views that may be inaccurate. I think we all know that misinformation spreads like wildfire and rarely gets corrected in the fast-paced world of social media.
Lastly, it’s not our place as white skaters to dictate the history that makes us most comfortable. We should listen, learn, and show respect for the origins and contributions of black skaters if we are to participate in and emulate the culture and moves that they have created.
Disparity in Media Visibility
“Why isn’t there a dedicated book on this topic if names and history are so important?” This repeated question reveals the glaring disparity in media visibility between black and white skaters.
Despite their skills, black skaters often receive less recognition compared to their white counterparts. This perpetuates the cycle of erasure and undermines the talents of black skaters.
One significant book exception was Bill Butler’s “Jammin”, which was published in 1979 during the peak of roller skating’s “disco” mainstream popularity. It’s been out of print for decades and is now considered a rare collectible.
The lack of published material about black roller skating can be largely attributed to limited opportunities and resources for black skaters to produce materials with the same marketing power and reach as major publishers or platforms.
Despite this challenge, there has been a growing movement for black skaters to create and self-publish materials that document and celebrate roller skating culture.
Documentaries to Watch:
8 Wheels and Some Soul Brotha’ Music (2008)
Roller Dreams (2017)
United Skates (2018)
Books:
Rollerdanceman: The Biography of Richard Humphrey, by Carla Dometrius
The Motown Sound On Wheels: Rockin Richard Houston
The Evolution of Skating: Sk8rz Passion, Our Journey, by Amirah Palmer, Richard Humphrey, David Miles
The information is out there, but it may not be where you are used to looking.
Supporting Authenticity in the Age of Faux “Influencers”
In the era of social media, it’s important to look more closely at the authenticity and authority of skating “influencers”. Before considering someone an “expert”, confirm their involvement in the skating community as well as their actual skills and experience.
Black skaters played a significant role in creating the unique styles and moves that have made skating so popular. So, it’s disheartening to see people, especially white skaters, appropriating the creations of those skaters while centering themselves for attention, validation, and monetary gain on social media.
Let’s be honest here. We all know that people prefer to watch catchy videos than to read lengthy captions full of history facts. However, if you find yourself actively exploiting this viewer behavior for your personal gain, take a moment and reflect on your motives as well as the creators you may be harming.
Also note that media exposure doesn’t always equate to actual skill or influence. Supporting those who genuinely contribute to the growth and preservation of roller skating culture ensures that authentic voices are recognized and celebrated.
Look closely and you’ll see who is contributing TO the culture, and who is merely taking FROM it.
Moving Beyond Colorblindness
When white skaters respond with the assertion that “It doesn’t matter, roller skating is for everyone,” it reflects a form of “colorblindness.” This mindset assumes all experiences and contributions are equal and interchangeable, and dismisses the historical context that shaped popular roller skating as well as the issues that still persist today.
Advocating for historical accuracy and acknowledging black creators does not exclude anyone from participating in or enjoying roller skating. Instead, it aims to address systemic imbalances and give credit where it is due.
By acknowledging, respecting, and amplifying the true cultural origins of roller skating, we can start to right some of the wrongs that previously kept diverse voices and experiences from being highlighted and celebrated.
The recent rash of headlines touting the new “TikTok roller skating trend” reminded me a lot about why I started my website and social media pages back in 2014.
I was struck by how often media coverage on roller skating was centered around white women in some strange, exclusionary form of “girl power.” I had been an avid roller skater for nearly 5 years by then. Although I am white, I didn’t look like that, and neither did the people I skated with. My intention was to use my privilege to amplify those who weren’t being seen.
Many of these articles centered skating around white influencers and erased the African-American communities that have been nurturing and elevating this activity for decades.
On top of that, some were quick to capitalize; positioning themselves as the gatekeepers of some skating “revival.” Never turning down the spotlight, they could be seen taking credit for, and profiting from, dances and skills they took from the culture, but did not create.
Both types of passive and active whitewashing send the unfortunate message that black skaters and their beloved activity didn’t really matter until white people discovered it. It also prevents black talent from receiving any media recognition or compensation.
Despite black skaters’ apparent erasure from the press, they have had some of the most significant impact on our culture.
If it wasn’t for a black man, Bill Butler, we’d all likely still be skating to organ music at the local rink.
Since Co-vid19, many skaters are just now discovering quad skating outdoors. However, one of the countries’ longest-running advocates for outdoor roller skating is a black man, David Miles Jr. out of San Francisco, CA.
Even the film makers of the 2018 HBO documentary “United Skates” embarked on their original journey thinking that roller skating was dying off with the last of the original New York “roller disco” skaters. They soon learned that there was a whole vibrant movement of adult roller skating they’d never heard of. To their credit, they worked tirelessly with those skaters for over 5 years to get their story told on a bigger scale.
Prior to that, Tyrone Dixon released his independent documentary, “8 Wheels and some Soul Brotha Music” in 2004 to critical acclaim. Without these films, the media has virtually ignored black roller skating culture.
In an attempt to course correct, some authors have recently taken up the cause to remind people how the roots of modern skating stem from the civil rights movement. While skating does indeed bears roots in the struggle of racism, we must not overlook the positive and joyful contributions the black community has made to modern skating culture.
When the media continues to portray skaters as majority white, retro, eye candy, or conversely when black skaters are only represented by their racial trauma, they are missing out on the cutting edge of music, dance, fashion, style, etc.
This is a vibrant and important culture still fighting racist policies, continued gentrification, and historical erasure. Black skaters deserve to have their contributions acknowledged, respected and appreciated at the forefront of cultural conversations, not as a footnote.
White Chocolate - Roller Skating 