KCAL NEWS MORNINGS AT SEVEN AND STREAMING ON CBS NEWS LOS ANGELES HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. AMANDA SORRENTINO SPEAKING WITH A WOMAN THAT KEEPS ROLLING TOWARDS THE FUTURE WHILE HONORING THE PAST. >> A HUGE RESURGENCE. FILE FOR BY SO MANY PEOPLE JUST A FEW DECADES AGO. THE BLACK HISTORY LACED WITH
THIS SPORT STILL PLAYS A BIG IMPACT TODAY. IT IS HER PLACE OF PEACE AND IT IS HER WAY TO CONNECT. THIS LOS ANGELES 32-YEAR-OLD LIVES THE ART OF ROLLERSKATING. >> AND FEELS MORE COMFORTABLE FOR ME TO WEAR MY ROLLERSKATES AND WEAR SHOES. >> SHE CELEBRATES WHO SHE IS AND
THOSE THAT DID THE WORK BEFORE HER. >> IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO KEEP ROLLERSKATING ALIVE AND TO REMEMBER THAT IT IS FROM BLACK CULTURE. >> RINGS WOULD ONLY OFFER ONE NIGHT OF SKATING FOR BLACK SKATERS IF THAT. THE BLACK COMMUNITY TOOK TO THE STREETS TO DANCE ON THEIR SKATES
IT LATER BECAME A PART OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AS A PART TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES WHILE FIGHTING DISCRIMINATION. BY THE 70s, ROLLERSKATING BECAME PART OF DISCO CULTURE. >> BECAUSE OF THE SKATERS BEFORE HER, JAMES WAS ABLE TO USE HER SKATES TO SAY A MESSAGE IN A TIME OF UNREST.
>> BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTEST HAPPENING, IT WAS A REALLY STRESSFUL TIME FOR SO MANY BLACK FOLKS. ROLLERSKATING WAS A WAY WHERE WE CAN FULLY EXPRESS OUR JOY. >> DURING THAT TIME WHEN SHE STARTED SHARING HER LOVE OF SKATING. OFFERING CLASSES TO PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO LEARN DURING THE PANDEMIC.
SHE IS NOW A THRIVING CONTENT CREATOR INSPIRING OTHER WOMEN TO EMBRACE THEIR JOY THAT COMES FROM WITHIN. >> WE NEED TO NORMALIZE THAT IN EVERYTHING WE DO. BLACKNESS IS NOT ALWAYS STRUGGLE EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE STILL STRUGGLES HAPPENING EVEN TO THIS DAY, WE NEED TO NORMALIZE SEEING
THAT JOY SO WE CAN SPREAD IT EVEN MORE. IT IS A WAY FOR ME TO SPREAD THE JOY THAT I FEEL. >> THE FEELING OF FREEDOM IN THE PRESENT WITH GROUNDING FROM A STRONG RESILIENCE FROM THE PAST THAT COMES FROM CONFIDENCE ON WHEELS. IN LOS ANGELES, KCAL NEWS.
>> ANY TIME SHE CAN INCORPORATE THAT IT’S REALLY FUN TO SEE. >> HAVE YOU ROLLERSKATE IT? >> I USED TO ROLLERSKATE ALL THE TIME. I DID NOT KNOW THE HISTORY. >> IT IS FASCINATING
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