From JB to AJ

The roller-skating culture in Tallahassee is livelier and more diverse than most residents of the city might assume.

If you’re at all familiar with the Capital City’s roller-skating scene, whether engaging in the activity as a pastime or a serious hobby, then you know of Skate World on Capital Circle. Fun-seeking skaters of all ages and skill levels come to this venue, where a different event is hosted each day of the week.

Vernon Bailey, a 73-year-old and very adept skater, visits the venue every Thursday for one of Skate World’s most bustling events — Adult Night.

Bailey is originally from Washington, D.C., where he discovered a love of skating 45 years ago. His interest in skating grew as he discovered the considerable influence that Black culture and style had on the activity.

“I continue to skate and enjoy it,” Bailey said. “I continue to get better and better, and I would recommend it to anyone. Here in Tallahassee, I’m thankful for this rink (Skate World), but I wish that there were more places to skate.”

Members of TallySk8Mafia enjoy “getting their roll on” at Skate World. Pictured on opposite page, from left to right: Regan Smith, Greg Mackenzie, Aljohn “AJ” Still, Adieren Narro, Faith Scriv and Debrionna Durham. Photo by Matt Burke

Aside from the newly built skateable art park on FAMU Way, Skate World is the only place in Tallahassee where aspiring and skilled skaters can get their roll on. Diverse groups meet at Skate World including TallySk8Mafia, one of several local skate groups made up of Black members.

Members of this skate group, like 28-year-old Debrionna Durham, frequently travel to the parking garages outside of Cascades Park off Bloxham and Calhoun streets to practice their skills and learn new techniques.

“I like having that community because the people within it help me improve my skating,” Durham said. “AJ was the main guy that drew me into his group, and with that, it led to other people within the group teaching me different moves and routines.”

Aljohn “AJ” Still. Photo by Matt Burke

Aljohn “AJ” Still created TallySk8Mafia in 2020. He says that skate groups are “invaluable” to both beginners and experienced skaters and provide skaters with a platform to build their skills in a “supportive and inclusive space.”

“They can learn new tricks, techniques and styles from other skaters, pushing themselves to new limits,” Still said. “Additionally, being part of a community like TallySk8Mafia allows skaters to organize events, competitions and skate sessions, fostering a sense of unity and collaboration within the skate community.”

The roller-skating culture and its ties to the Black community date back to the late ’60s and early ’70s and the Civil Rights Movement. Skating was used as a form of expression during a time of relentless discrimination and segregation.

Black skaters were only allowed into roller rinks for one night a week, considered “Black Night,” which was later dubbed “Soul Night.”

“Martin Luther King Jr. Night” was a term also used for these days in acknowledgment of Ledger Smith, who roller skated 685 miles to hear King’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington.

Photo by Matt Burke

Skating became synonymous with disco and later hip-hop. It is influenced by a lot of genres and styles and is very similar to dance.

“Most roller-skating styles are definitely connected to Black origins,” said Greg Mackenzie, a member of TallySk8Mafia. “For example, JB style is, like, up there in the U.S., and it’s one of the most popular styles when it comes to roller skating.”

JB “James Brown” style is a Chicago style of roller skating that is among many regional forms of skating techniques influenced by Black culture and practiced by Black skaters today. Snapping, NY, Cali Slide, House and Downtown are other popular styles.

Black culture in roller skating has been depicted in films like Roll Bounce from 2005 and ATL from 2006. Roller skating as a whole experienced an international resurgence during the pandemic in 2020 when content creators gained popularity for posting videos of themselves skating on social media apps like TikTok.

Groups like TallySk8Mafia are the product of this resurgence, and having this platform in Tallahassee has unified many aspiring skaters and welcomed even more. Florida A&M University’s campus established its own skate club, Rejects, just last year. Anyone is welcome to join any of the established skate groups in town.

Jaden Bowen is a senior journalism major at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.