The Love of Skating In the Black Community by Jalisa Brooks (@naturalskater)

 

*Jalisa provided read-along short writing for her video! We're so grateful she attached this because her video is now accessible for our deaf/hard-of-hearing and readers with disabilities!

"Starting out skating, I would always want to groove like the "old heads" at the rink and cruise so smooth. Two years ago, my good sis @poetic_skater and I would go to our local rink, Rollerhaven, and encourage each other to skate, and we're both self-taught. While that was really fun, I honestly had no idea how skating really was in the Black community until I saw it in action on Adult Nights at Skateland in Flint, Michigan. It was then I saw the beauty and art in skating I only saw in Roll Bounce or heard about from my parents and family. Being around that much amazing spirit and energy made me want to learn more and find my own style of skating. This led me to do some research and I've come across some amazingly gifted skaters. From @a.j.bolton, @jazskatez, @justseconds, @smoothgoddess, @lilyskatesalot, @skatefantacee, @r_c_chick, and so many more, made me excited, not only because they are amazing at what they do, but because they look like me doing what they LOVED to do. Empowering, uplifting, and encouraging Black women and non-binary skaters to tune out the rest of the world with how you "should skate" and skate like YOU would love to. As someone who suffers from a mental illness, Major Depressive Disorder, I can tell you first hand that it is difficult to find even the tiniest glimmer of happiness in anything. However, when you do, hold on to it and never let it go! Skating is that tiny glimmer of happiness for me that manages to brighten up my world like the sun, for even the first 10 minutes. I've come to know and love some amazing skaters from all walks of life; a community that has kept me together in more ways than one, when I wanted to fall apart. With systemic racism being at an all-time high, police brutality seeming like there won’t be an end and equality we've been fighting for centuries, it's time for us to come together and make change. Come together to spread peace and tranquility, love and happiness, power, and justice. Black skaters, LGBTQ skaters, trans skaters, non-binary skaters, BIPOC skaters, and allied skaters come together in this community to do just that. I am more than proud to stand with the skating community and help uplift anyone. The reality of the world can be scary, but if you surround yourself with like-minded people and good energy, you'll never feel scared or alone. That's exactly how I feel in this community, and I love every second of it! I used to want to skate like other people, but now...I'm more excited to skate like myself. From slow walking, toe spins, dips...Baby this journey has only just begun!!"

JALISA DOES NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THE MUSIC.

© All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, AWKWARD SKATE MAGAZINE.