A Brief History of Rollerskating

 

Introduction

Rollerskating’s history is a deep, rich journey spanning decades and still unfolding today! This journey is unique to each place in the world, and this post shares a small portion of the events surrounding rollerskating in the United States, specifically throughout the Civil Rights Era. Although rollerskating is an inclusive sport, it’s important to educate ourselves on the roots it has in Black culture and the Civil Rights Movement. We must respect this rich history and support Black skaters! By no means is this a reflection of the entire history of the sport, so I encourage you to always do your own research and continue educating yourself!

Also, I’ve listed this as bullet points, as a big page of text is overwhelming. You’re welcome.

The Invention of the Almighty Quad Skate

  • 1760: John Joseph Merlin, a Belgian inventor, patented the first archaic roller-skate design, an inline skate with only two wheels.

  • 1863: James Leonard Plimpton patented the “rocker skate,” allowing skaters to turn by shifting their weight.

 

John Joseph Merlin’s Inline Skate Design

James Leonard Plimpton’s Rocker Skate Design

 

Skating for Stress Relief

1940’s Skaters Dancing Some Stress Away
(Notice no Black Skaters are Present)

  • 1940’s: Skating began being used as a stress-relieving pastime to cope with the trauma of WWII, with roller rinks popping up across the USA.

  • Black skaters were denied the right to skate at the rinks with the white skaters, leading the community to protest.

 

Fight for the Right to Skate

White City Protests Fight for Equal Access to Rink Skating

  • 1940’s: The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) pioneered the sit-in protests to break down social barriers and allow African Americans the right to skate!

  • 1946: CORE peacefully protested at White City Roller Rink, ultimately resolving with Black skaters being given one night per week to commune and skate together.

  • 1950’s: The singular night allotted for Black skaters were given nicknames such as “Soul Night, R&B Night, MLK Jr. Night, and Adult Night” to cue the community that the rink would be open that night for Black skaters.

 

Black-Owned Rinks

  • 1960’s/70’s: Black-owned rinks began popping up, giving the community a safe place to gather and roll!

    • Some of these places included Places-Mor Roller Rink and RollerCade Detroit

  • These rinks fostered the growth of R&B, hip-hop, and rap musicians, as mainstream culture shunned the upcoming genres.

 
 

Music Scene Develops

  • When mainstream culture rejected the growth of R&B, hip-hop, and rap music, Black-owned roller rinks acted as a live venue for upcoming artists.

  • Skateland USA was one of the first rinks to adopt this practice.

  • Some artists like Queen Latifa, Easy-Z, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre were forged in roller rinks!

 

Roller Disco, Baby!

  • 1970’s: Roller disco rose to popularity, originating mostly with Black and gay skaters.

  • Big cities boomed with rich skate culture, inventing distinctive skate styles in each place such as Chicago, Atlanta, and Brooklyn.

  • Bill Butler, The Godfather of Roller Disco, skates at Empire.

  • The Oatwood side of Venice, CA became a hub for African American skaters to gather, as prejudice and discrimination still existed within the rinks.

Skaters Vibin’ at Soul Night

Bans and Rules

  • Some white-owned rinks began implementing certain band and regulations to deter Black skaters from coming to the rink (unfortunately this still happens sometimes today).

  • Some of these bans include:

    • No fiberglass, small, or hard wheels (wheels most commonly worn by the Black community).

    • No R&B, Hip-Hop, or Rap music.

    • No headphones, meaning skaters can’t play their own community/cultural music.

Skater at Venice Beach in 1986

Bill Butler, The Godfather of Roller Disco

2020 Boom and Moving Forward

  • Rollerskating became more mainstream during this year, with people searching for new pastimes throughout lockdown.

    • Social media platforms, such as TikTok, propelled the popularity of quad skating through building awareness online.

  • The majority of social media attention was on white skaters, and although all skaters deserve focus, we must also acknowledge the skaters of color whose roots lie deep within tis port and who kept it alive throughout the decades.

  • As rollerskating continues to develop into various niches and styles, we can appreciate all skaters/skate styles for what they bring to the table!

  • Let’s also make it a priority to acknowledge skaters of color who fought for the right to skate and continue to grow the culture today!

FOR MORE MORE INFORMATION

Check Out the Following Resources

DISCLAIMER

  • I am but a measly human who makes mistakes occasionally, so if you notice a discrepancy in the information, please fill out this contact form to let me know so that I may correct it. Thank you!

 
Maddy H-B