Since its beginnings a hundred and fifty years ago roller skating has seen several comebacks in the 70s 80s 90s and now thanks to the pandemic shutdowns and social media the retro pastime is having another major moment and as Tory Bedford tells us it’s a sport with a rich
History with deep roots in another protests roller skating seems like it’s everywhere with people eating for something to do outside the house during the shutdown and skating videos going viral on social media platforms like tic toc and instagram the retro pastime is having a moment but for longtime skaters like Hayes be
Josef roller skating is so much more than just a passing online trend at a protest in Boston earlier this month Joseph joined dozens of other roller skaters in a skate rally from Cambridge to Alston in support of the black lives matter movement we are we love skating
And we want to show people this isn’t the first time we’ve seen protest and roller skating join forces with the civil rights movement happening while we’re expanding with getting that first amp a lot of it did cross over a lot that did it really that people don’t
Really know about in fact that’s how modern roller skating really got its start roller skating America’s favorite funds for you during desegregation in the 1950s and 60s many roller rinks fought to keep black skaters out in response they staged protests and sit-ins this evolved into rinks holding specific nights for white skaters and
Black skaters and those black skating nights are where modern styles like Jam hip hop and rhythm skating were born we just have a unique look and way that we skate because just you know it’s a product of our environment and what we have to face on the outsides of these
Rinks so where we have to come in you know kind of form our own little tribe so we have our trademark way of how we express ourselves on skates here Derek foster Tony’s has run che Lou’s roller rink in Dorchester for decades he grew up here watching history being made in real time
It was almost like you were at a cookout and everyone knew each other when you came in here it was you know predominantly you know black people but it was such a scene to see where it was like wow this is powerful this is one of
The main spaces we had to be able to do that and do so safely and it still is foster Tony skates at rinks around the country where he says rules still exist to keep black skaters from feeling welcome things like no baggy pants and no baseball caps
Maybe they’ll chase me down on the floor and tell me to take my hat off or maybe they’ll you know little things like that where you think in your head well why does this necessarily you won’t find dress code rules at shave OU’s where skaters of all colors have always been
Welcome but even as roller skating is gaining popularity online historically black roller rinks are closing across the country for now shave oozes hoping they’ll survive the corona virus pandemic shut down and reopen their doors this time to a whole new generation of skaters Tori Bedford WGBH news shave who was closed during the
Shutdown and isn’t slated to open until phase four of the state’s reopening plan
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