It’s important to remember that roller skating has played a supporting role in Black culture, from the Civil Rights Movement to Hip-Hop to Black Lives Matter.
It’s 9:10 am and John Michael Reza is ready for his weekly lesson at Project R.I.D.E. in Elk Grove. He’s wearing a riding helmet with his name printed on the back and worn cowboy boots. Despite the occasional loud whinny, it’s serene inside the arena. It smells of wood shavings and horses.
It’s important to remember that roller skating has played a supporting role in Black culture, from the Civil Rights Movement to Hip-Hop to Black Lives Matter.