If you’re an adult of a certain age (aka over the age of 30), you probably remember the sheer joy and excitement that came with going to the skating rink. Back when you were younger, especially if you lived in a small town, there was no better place to go with your friends than the local rink. But alas, the skating rink is an endangered species, and in a new HBO documentary, “United Skates,” we see that it’s not just younger folks that enjoy the skating rink.
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In the first trailer for the film, we see that the Black communities all around the country have a long history with skating rinks, as a place to hang out with friends, dance, and just have fun. And unfortunately, due to a variety of factors, including a healthy dose of racism, these skating rinks that are thriving thanks to the Black community are now being shut down at an alarming rate.
“United Skates” is produced by musician John Legend and hopes to shed light on just how the African-American community embraced skating rinks for decades and continues to do so today, even as the locations are being shut down. This doc shows that once these rinks are gone, a piece of American culture, particularly with Black folks, with die along with them.
The documentary features interviews with Phelicia Wright, Reggie Brown, Queen Latifah, Coolio, Salt-N-Pepa, Maulud Allah, Vin Rock, and Alonzo Williams.
“United Skates” will premiere on HBO on February 18.
Here’s the synopsis:
As America’s last standing roller rinks are threatened with closure, United Skates spotlights a community of thousands who fight to save the underground African-American subculture of roller skating.