Roll Bounce and the History of Roller Skating

Leila Ganim Correspondent

On Monday, April 3, the Black Students Board (BSB) kicked off Pan-Afrikan week with an exciting Roll Bounce-themed event. Pan-Afrikan week is an annual celebration amongst Black students, showcasing Black Culture and building community at NC State. This year’s theme for Pan-Af week was black undefined, emphasizing a move towards understanding the complexities and nuances of the Black identity in the United States. The event’s flyer description reads “Come out to a ’70s-themed skating night! Enjoy skating, groovy music, and snacks'' and boy did they deliver. Students were first checked in at the welcome desk by BSB student volunteers. They walked into the transformed Talley ballroom decorated with sparkly silver curtains. Once inside students had a few choices: they could join the crowded line of chatty students grabbing and rolling on skates, or go over to the refreshments table and munch on snacks or slushies. There was also a station to get their polaroid picture taken by the neon orange RollBounce sign. Students enjoyed the safe and social environment to celebrate the beginning of Pan-Afrikan week.

To get a picture of what goes on behind the scenes, Nubian Message interviewed Event Coordinator Kamya Harvin, fourth-year and sociology student.

Nubian Message: How did you guys come up with the theme of the event? And week?

Kamya Harvin: Roller skating is a big part of Black Culture. We wanted to tailor our theme of Black Undefined where we are trying to represent all parts of the black diaspora by hosting a variety of events.

NM: How does roller skating connect to the African American community?

KH: It is a form of expression and creativity.

NM: How does roller skating connect to Pan-Af week?

KH: We want to represent all parts of black culture with our theme of black undefined. Roller skating ties right into this, for skating is very prevalent in the black community and is rooted in our culture.

NM: What was the process like for creating the event?

KH: Ideas are brought to the table and we work through them together in a collaborative workspace. A lead is assigned to each event and tasks are delegated for a team effort.

NM: What were some challenges or triumphs of creating the event?

KH: Triumphs were reaching our audience and being able to successfully create a fun environment that students were able to enjoy.

NM: Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t asked about?

KH: It is very important to support BSB and other Black organizations on campus so that we can continue to do the work that we do!

Nubian Message also interviewed Jordyn Williams, Student Leadership & Engagement UAB Coordinator.

Nubian Message : How did you bring this event to fruition?

Jordyn Williams: The planning process for this event began months ago. I started by browsing Pinterest for decor inspiration and mapping out what I wanted the space to look like, the key components of the event, and how I wanted to bring the theme to life. The event started as a simple Google document and once I had a concrete plan, I went into booking our DJ and the vendor who provided the roller rink. The rest of the planning was just creating the menu for the concession stand and making all of my purchases! Day of, we spent hours decorating and setting up, which I could not have done without the help of the BSB students and my co-advisor!

Roller skating within the Black community is rich with a history of community building, expressionism and passion. Once introduced to the American scene, roller skating became a popular pastime for people of all ages, yet the rinks only allowed white people to skate.

In 1942, the first black-owned roller rink opened in Cleveland, Ohio. Pla-Mor Roller Rink was the social scene of the Black community in the 1940s and carried through until the ‘60s when the rink met its tragic end. Events such as the “Exhibit of Progress” and the “Home and Food Show” began in this important space of social change. Unfortunately, during the Hough Uprisings, the roller rink was burned down, but its legacy still continues today with events like Roll Bounce. .

Popular roller rinks only welcomed the Black community on “special nights” such as “R&B” or “Soul.” However, in 1955, the community took control by building the famous Rollercade rink located in Detroit, Michigan. Today, Rollercade is one of the oldest Black-owned roller rinks still around. Its mission is to preserve the roller skating culture of the African American community and ensure its future in culture. They host events like R&B Tuesdays, Poise Detroit Skate Night and the Brown Explores Skate Party which provide a rich understanding of their cultural history.

Another organization working towards the preservation of skating culture is the African American Museum of Roller Skating. This museum was established in 2021 paired with NYC's RollerSkate Week. The goal of this organization is to actively maintain the integral connection between access to roller skating and the Black community.

They emphasize that the core of the museum “is focused on creating unique, original, engaging and fresh experiences, exhibitions and multimedia digital content, representing the full spectrum of roller-skating across the nation. These ends are achieved through virtually-accessible media and through customized, site-specific, pop-up events.” Again taking inspiration from the past and paving a way for its future in the world of roller skating.

Nubian Message spoke to Shaniya Woolridge, a second-year majoring in

Anthropology and Issac Smith, a fourth-year majoring in Natural Resources to get a student perspectives on roller skating.

Nubian Message: What does roller skating mean to you?

Shaniya Woolridge, a second-year majoring in Anthropology: For me roller skating gives me a sense of community because I skateboard and roller skate so just being around people that also skate gives you a sense of community that someone else is doing exactly what you're doing right now.” Which was the exact energy of the room during the event.

Issac Smith: I really liked this event, it was dope and friendly and a nice way to merge people into the culture you know. The whole theme is very apparently important to the movie and to the African American community and it's a nice way to get people into the culture. Centered around BSB and enjoying black events and getting people roller skating which is dope.

The core values of roller skating culture reflects the sentiments of Pan-Afrikan Week as a whole. This year’s Pan-Af theme Black undefined guided inspiration for the creation of the events, designed to reach all audiences so that everyone would feel included.

This week of events ranged from the Roll Bounce event to the Sneaker Ball to THEE Drag Ball. All provide a safe, fun and inclusive environment for students to enjoy an evening of community building. The leaders of BSB emphasize the importance of community involvement and volunteering. The Roll Bounce event was an opportunity for NC State students to enjoy community building while having fun.