Aug 14, 2025
Before Hip-Hop Stages, There Were Roller Rinks
The soul of roller skating has been rolling through Black communities for 100+ years—from “Soul Night” during segregation to JB style in Chicago, trains in NY/NJ, LA slides, and Atlanta’s Cascade. Rinks were stages for hip-hop before the big venues, safe havens in tense cities, and hubs for youth, family, and culture. Ledger Smith skated 685 miles to the March on Washington. Today, Black-owned rinks like Cascade (ATL), RollerCade (Detroit), and Rollin’ CLT (Charlotte) still carry the legacy. This isn’t a comeback. It never left.
