The new documentary 'United Skates' explores the influence of roller skating on the civil rights movement and the birth of hip-hop.
By Elyssa Goodman
Feb 14 2019, 5:29pm
It started with a small group of skaters in Central Park. Documentary filmmakers Tina Brown and Dyana Winkler first encountered them about six years ago, their moves begging to be filmed. What they didn’t realize was just how deep the world of skating went. Now, after being invited in by the community, they’ve released a full-length documentary about skate culture called United Skates, which looks at roller skating culture in African American communities across the country.
Skating to James Brown and a wealth of hip-hop and R&B, the scene bursts with personal expression, vibrant style, beauty, athleticism, and a sense of family. Despite the community's historical significance to both the civil rights movement (skaters protested for desegregated rinks back in the 1960s) and the birth of hip-hop (rappers would perform at rinks when other venues wouldn’t allow them), the film reveals that the scene's very existence is under threat as rinks around the country close down. But even in its darkest moments, Winkler and Brown's film shows there's hope
Full article: The Overlooked History of African American Skate Culture
Imma catch this doc
By Elyssa Goodman
Feb 14 2019, 5:29pm
It started with a small group of skaters in Central Park. Documentary filmmakers Tina Brown and Dyana Winkler first encountered them about six years ago, their moves begging to be filmed. What they didn’t realize was just how deep the world of skating went. Now, after being invited in by the community, they’ve released a full-length documentary about skate culture called United Skates, which looks at roller skating culture in African American communities across the country.
Skating to James Brown and a wealth of hip-hop and R&B, the scene bursts with personal expression, vibrant style, beauty, athleticism, and a sense of family. Despite the community's historical significance to both the civil rights movement (skaters protested for desegregated rinks back in the 1960s) and the birth of hip-hop (rappers would perform at rinks when other venues wouldn’t allow them), the film reveals that the scene's very existence is under threat as rinks around the country close down. But even in its darkest moments, Winkler and Brown's film shows there's hope
Full article: The Overlooked History of African American Skate Culture
Imma catch this doc
