JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s a celebration of Black culture as skaters glide across the rink at Sk8 City in Arlington.
When you think of roller skating you may not know about the rich history it has in the African-American community.
Skating has played a significant role in the Black culture since the late 1950s, early 60s, and even during the civil rights movement.
Usher recently highlighted the roller skating art during his Super Bowl halftime show.
“Segregation kept a lot of the Black kids out of the rink, so you know they were forced to only skate like one day a week. They gave us one day a week which was Martin Luther Day, that’s ironic. Then they only gave us that Sunday night,” Harris said.
Sk8 City owner Terry Harris recalls a well-known skate station in Jacksonville where most African Americans skated in the 70s.
“The original skate rink was bought and owned by one of our council members Mr. Harry Gibson,” Harris said. “It was the place where all the black kids went in Duval County. It was the spot.”
Over the years, skating has taken a turn in popularity.
“You see more roller skating commercials. You see Usher did his thing at the Super Bowl. He has a whole skate crew. Floyd Mayweather owns a rink out in Vegas. So it’s a lot going on with roller skating now. It’s one of America’s greatest pastimes, especially for the black community as well,” Harris said.
Harrris believes Usher’s spotlight on roller skating brought the activity back in the spotlight.
“He was on the stage with 300 million people watching the Super Bowl he really did a good spotlighting it still exists,” Harris said.