Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
[Music] he [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] he [Music] [Applause] [Music] well good morning good good afternoon good evening wherever you are in the world it’s Dr. Jan Fortman with Relationship Matters TV. So I guess you’re wondering why I have on a mask especially since I’m in my studio. Well, it’s because I knocked out my front tooth and I had to go to the dentist to see what he could do. He couldn’t do anything because he said when I knocked my front tooth out, I don’t know it broke or something up in there, so which meant that he had to pull it. So, uh, well you know when we were kids we used to call F snacker too, well I’m SN magude, I got a big old gap in the front of my mouth so that’s why I have this mask on. And, uh, did you know that, and you might have that, um, an implant one too is over $5,000 OMG take care of your teeth. And what I did, uh, for some reason I don’t know, I bit down on something really really really really hard and it broke. So that’s why I have my mask on. And, uh, you know what also I have it on? Well, I’m in my studio but when you’re in like a bunch of people, a big group of people you could put on a mask, it’s okay.

Alrighty, so as people come on I will probably explain again why I have my mask on. At least I don’t have it on up here, I just have it on cover of my mouth. Well this evening I have a guest on who to tell you the truth I’m a little envious of her and you’re gonna find out why soon as I bring her on. So let me tell you a little bit about who my guest is today. Her name now I gotta find it, what did I do with her? What did I do with her? OMG I gotta find her. Anyway, her name is Marcy Hill. So let me tell you about Marcy Hill. You know what, that’s what happens when you kind of like in pain and you’re in pain because the feeling is coming back in your tooth.

Marcie Hill
Uh, and even though they said, well what you should do is take some ibuprofen, I didn’t. That’s number one. Number two, do you know when you have a tooth missing in the front of your mouth you have a lisp? Okay, so let me tell you about Marcy. Marcy Hill is a freelance writer and creative spirit. Her name is Marcy Hill Johnson because she’s a newlywed. Anyway, Marcy Hill Johnson is a freelance writer and creative spirit who left her job and her 12-year career in human resources to pursue her passion of writing. Marcy has published over 100 articles in print and online publications, 4,000 plus blog posts, and she has published, written, and published eight books. So now you see why I’m a little envious. Her two proudest writing accomplishments are her interview with Dr. Maya Angelou and she was published in Forbes online magazine. Marcy is an avid reader and talker who loves sharing little known and unknown facts and she’s been a member of Toastmasters International for over 15 years and she’s a member of MJM Speaker Circle which is one of the premier clubs in Chicago, Illinois.

Marcy has presented at local and national conferences including New Media Expo, Blogging While Brown, and Social Media Chicago. So what we’re gonna talk about is what she’s doing. We’re gonna talk a little bit about her blogging but we are going to have a conversation about roller skating history. She gives presentations on this topic and she’s going to publish a book. Her masterpiece will be published this year and Marcy’s mission is to encourage others to be their best selves through words, action, and creativity. So let me bring to you without further ado, Miss Marcy Hill Johnson.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Hello!

Marcie Hill
Hey Dr. Jan, how are you?

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Well, other than the fact that I got a hole in the front of my mouth, I’m fine.

Marcie Hill
Yes, I see your earrings!

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh, they keep turning over. I needed my M to show. They are so cute, thanks Dr. Jan! And that is your brand. So, and I know you have a special t-shirt on, let me see that.

Marcie Hill
Oh yeah, I have a t-shirt called “How Ro” and it has the names of the rinks where black people skated in Chicago. Oh, and now all rinks are not all of the rinks are black-owned but these are places I know based on research where black people skate and still skate today.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh, okay, so you’re talking about indoor roller skating, indoor roller rinks?

Marcie Hill
Yes.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, so let me just go a little bit about you. So now you are a very prolific author and blogger. So you left your corporate job to pursue writing, yes?

Marcie Hill
Yes, and this was years ago. But this is when I knew that I had to, I no longer, that that place in life was no longer for me because the spirit of writing was on me and all I wanted to do was write. I was working in human resources at that time and this was in 2008 because very few people have the audacity to leave a job, a steady income, but I did it. Well, two things led me to it: one, I was single and two, I didn’t have children which left room for error because if I messed some stuff up, I was only had to be accountable for me. So to me, um, so at that time I just felt everything I was doing led to writing and I started reading books on how to be a freelance writer and I said, well let me give this a shot. And in February of 2008, with the grace of my supervisor at that time, I left human resources and I never looked back. Even though I look at HR positions today and they pay really nicely, like real nice, but I can’t, my passion is not there.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Wow! And so you wrote all of these articles. So what were most of your articles about?

Marcie Hill
Well, let me start by saying when I first started writing, magazines were still around. So it took a few years before everything went online and there’s a whole process even now. It’s probably not as strenuous to getting things published because you actually have to pitch story ideas to editors. Well, back then that was the process but even now you have to pitch ideas to the blog owner and you had to come up with ideas and let them know why you’re a good fit for the publication. But luckily for me, my very first article that was published was, I think, no actually I was writing for the Bulleton newspaper with Hurley Green and he allowed me to write small articles before assigning larger stories and that was before I had left my job. But when I left my job, my very first article was about, it was, I remember it was, I left the job in March and it was an article for Indigo magazine which was a very huge Chicago magazine back, you know, back in 2008 and it was about women. I know it was for Women’s History Month and I forgot the story of it, the gist of it, but I know it was Women’s History Month and it was a blessing and it let me know I was on the right path because I pitched the article and the editor at that time was Zandre Hughes and I love Zandre, she is so cool.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
And um, she said, well let me give this to you. So I really did pitch a story but I had sent my letter of interest plus at that time you submitted samples of your writing and I was assigned that article and that was the beginning of the writing career I desired as well as confirmation that I was on the right track. And then the other stories were just, and I have a buddy Jennifer Brown Banks who was an editor of several magazines at that time and she published a story for me for, I think it was Mahogany magazine. It wasn’t a local magazine and I think that story was “Desperate Women Not Just on TV.” So I was just pitching things that I watched, so that was um, another one of my early writings.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Wow! So now you, so those are your articles. What made you start blogging?

Marcie Hill
Around the same time I started writing, there was a journalism or newspaper conference here in Chicago. I know it’s like, I think it was like the National Association of Black Journalists. It had, it was all of the minority journalist organizations together here in Chicago and there was a lady at Black Enterprise who suggested that I start blogging because I was going to the different publications trying to find out what I needed to do to be a freelance writer. And I don’t have, don’t recall her name but she had suggested it and that was the beginning of my blog life. But prior to blogging, I actually published a newsletter called “Shorty in the House” and I published it for almost 10 years before I started blogging. So I published this newsletter every month and they were mostly on time, I mean it was like February because I just needed those extra days. But I published the newsletter “Shorty in the House” every month for 10 years and it was easy, it was kind of easy to transfer to blogging but the only challenge was learning the tech piece because that was all new. But then I used the WordPress site which was pretty much done for you and that was my intro.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Wow! And then you also wrote all of these books, eight books. I’m going to show some of these books. Wow! I mean that’s one, two, three, four, five books. When did you have time to write all these books?

Marcie Hill
Well, I was a, remember I was a freelance writer so I had a lot of time. So between writing and now pretty much, um, worked temp jobs at the same time to maintain. So I really, I had more, a lot of time on my hands.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Wow! That’s really, as I said, you are a very prolific writer, you really are. So now, uh, I really want to get to roller skating because that is so, how did you get interested in roller skating and the history?

Marcie Hill
When I left my, let me just say I’m always the type of person to ask how did something get started? And when I left my job, I said I was, that was in February and I said, you know, I’m not about to sit at home and just gain weight because that’s so easy to do. And my friend and I had started skating, well attempting to skate prior to me leaving my job, so that was an interest. And I found out they had lessons at Glenwood Roller Rink on Wednesday morning and I started taking lessons and I fell in love with it. I was there every Wednesday as if I owned the rink. I was just, it was just bad. But then I want to say it was bad, but the Markh was, Markh Roller Rink was still open back then. Those were the two main places and the rink on 87th Street was open so there was a chance to skate every day of the week. But I know I took, started with lessons at Glenwood and then just grew from there.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So how long did it take you to learn to skate? Did it take you or did you already know, you know, like as a kid you skated?

Marcie Hill
Well, everybody, I would say a lot of people you run into skated as a kid but I really didn’t have skills so I had to learn how to first of all gain confidence and that’s with skating in general. And then a lot of people say, oh it’s scary skating backwards. Skating backwards is actually easier than skating forward once you get comfortable. It actually is, but you just have to, you know, look over your shoulder as you skate and all the other skate moves, it depends on what you want to learn. But once you learn your balance, you bend your knees, those are the foundations of your skating. So I would say it took me a good, I was there every week, so it didn’t take that long to learn the basics. I was a good three to four months but then all of the other moves, skate moves took a little longer because of confidence.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, well I really wanted to discuss this U because after the Super Bowl, during the Super Bowl, I watched Usher and I thought, oh wow, you know, I didn’t know he skated. But I know a lot of black people, that’s what we did for recreation. CU, that was cheap, you know, you didn’t have to pay a lot of money and if you didn’t, you didn’t have to own your own skates so you, you know, hopefully they would have your size in there. But I remember skating when I was in high school, that’s when I started skating and I was doing pretty good. I was, you know, a teenager and then when I became a teacher, I would take my kids skating and this boy crossed over in front of me, his skates hooked into my skates, I fell and hit my jawbone, thought I had broken my jaw but I hadn’t. That’s the last time I was on some skates. But when did you start skating? Because you might, you said when you were in high school and I remember during our conversation you said you started, uh, at Allil Gardens.

Marcie Hill
Yeah, tell us a little bit about your skating journey. It’s not about me, it’s about you.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
I know, but it can introduce conversations like people say, well I skated there too. People love the topic of skating and when I just, because a lot of times I’ll just ask random people on the street, you know, if they look like Boomers, like, you know, did you used to roller skate? And then you should see the smiles on people’s faces, they loved it. And that, and I feel like that’s one of the best questions you can ask anybody.

Marcie Hill
Well, we started, you know, there was a building, a gym, and so that’s where we started roller skating. And after that, there was this place, uh, for people who live in Chicago, it was on 63rd in Cottage Grove, it was called White City. And they called it that because it was a big white building and so we used to go there and roller skate and we had a good time there. And I think that I was maybe in my early 20s when we would go there to White City, so that was a lot of fun. Um, I learned to skate backwards just a little bit and but what I wanted to do was, you know, like skate in a trio, uh, and to the music, you know, uh, and it’s so, it was fun. But like I said, uh, when I was teaching and the young man made me fall and I really hurt myself, I’m, you know, and now I’m so old now, I know I’m, I’m a senior, not so old because I don’t use the old word, but now that I’m, um, uh, older in age, I’m scared now if I go and fall I’ll break every bone in my body.

Marcie Hill
So common fear and that’s even with younger people, but at least you used to do it.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yes, I did. I really, really enjoyed, you know, roller, like I said, and I think when I got older, um, I was able to buy my own skates and I do remember my own skates, you know, they were white and they had those big wooden heels. So you know how long ago that was because I think now the wheels are what, metal or something?

Marcie Hill
Probably your thing, a your thing.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, so alright. So now what I want to do is get into the history of roller skating and I’m going to take a quick commercial right now. So when we get back we don’t get interrupted, you know, with commercials because I really am very interested in the history of roller because I think now that people, well they say millions and millions of people watch the Super Bowl and watch Usher skate and I really believe that it’s going to blow up. So anyway, um, we’ll be right back Marcy, okay?

Marcie Hill
Alright, alright, we’ll be right back to just get some history about roller skating because it’s really interesting and especially not, uh, especially here in Chicago. So we’ll be right [Music] back [Music] m [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Hi, we are back with Marcy Hill Johnson and we’re going to talk about roller skating and the history of roller skating, especially in the city of Chicago. So when did roller skating first start in the city of Chicago?

Marcie Hill
Well, the very first rink in Chicago opened on November 10th, 1880, so we have over 140 years of roller skating history here in Chicago.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Wow! Did they skate with music or what?

Marcie Hill
Back then they had live bands and they dressed in, they were in formal dress because what I learned in the course of my research that, you know how people, it first all was an upscale activity so only the elite roller skated. But they dressed up and a lot of the rinks back then had um, second levels where spectators areas. So they had the rink on the lower level and then they had an area for spectators and they were, and the rinks in Chicago from what I discovered were very elaborate because a lot of, well the early rinks because a lot of rinks in other cities at that time probably started as tents or in barns and things. The people in Chicago were bougie and they had indoor rinks and they were very, very elaborate. They were akin to the theaters back then.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Wow! So you said they skated in formal wear?

Marcie Hill
Yes, in dresses. You know how you see the people on Bridgerton? I don’t know if it was that formal but it was formal because only the wealthy roller skated in the early days.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So when did it get so that regular people?

Marcie Hill
At the turn of the um, the 19th century because at the beginning of the year, beginning of the year in the early 1900s you had the working class people who were actually making more money so they were able to afford roller skates and then roller skates were affordable. So now everybody could afford to skate. So in the early 1900s, that’s when it became, you saw more common folk skating versus the elite and the elite was so snooty. And I don’t know if this was just Chicago but this is from what I read.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So when everybody else started skating, they actually turned their nose up?

Marcie Hill
Well, I want to say turned their noses up, they turned their noses up at the people and kind of just missed roller skating because now the exclusivity of the activity was gone. So, um, I don’t know if this is the same thing but so you’re talking about roller skating with couples and um, um, um, orchestras and bands and indoor roller skating. So did roller derby, did that come around the same time, do you know?

Marcie Hill
They did have a form of Derby in the early 1900s and I’m not sure if it started in the late 1800s or early 1900s. They did have a form of Derby but it didn’t get popular, really popular until the 1930s with, um, it was during a depression and the creative derby, um, Leo Selzer made it popular, made it, um, tried to make it more attractive skating more attractive to the audiences like, you know how they had the dances where they danced all night to see who could win? That was the point of Derby, see who can skate the longest with pretty much without falling out and that too was conceived here at a restaurant in Chicago.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Really? Yes, oh my goodness! So what I’m wondering is, did indoor roller skating start here in Chicago or did it start someplace else?

Marcie Hill
Rich actually, road skating actually started in Europe. I don’t have the exact date and not sure exactly which country it originated in. I read it a while ago but I’ve been focused on Chicago. But it started in Europe and then it came to the United States in 1863 with the invention of the Clon skate or the um, quad skates as we know them today.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So it started in 18, what is that? What’s, oh the roller skates with the um, two wheels in the front and two wheels in the back, the skates that we use today?

Marcie Hill
Well, what did they use before? Oh, they had all types of inventions and there was one skate and then there’s a whole history of the roller skates too because if you look at most roller skates, they’re modeled after ice skates. So they’ve had some skates that have four wheels, three wheels, some with five wheels, I mean, I’m sorry, early skates, early inventions but they were all in line like ice skates, like the inline skates are now. But they probably weren’t as cool back then but those were the early skates and then, um, Clinton, so somebody created a form of roller skate like we wear now but then Clon made it more attractive. They call it a rocking skate, so he made it easier for people to move and turn in the roller skates.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh, okay. But the first pair of roller skates were invented in the 1700s, the forms that we use today, but they were just skates. So the guy who created the skates didn’t know how, didn’t he had no idea how to stop, he couldn’t turn.

Marcie Hill
Yeah, so they were a good invention that needed to be improved upon.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, okay. So roller skating now is, I know, like I said, becoming more popular and so who roller skates? Is it mostly younger people, older people?

Marcie Hill
Okay, first let me say roller skating has been popular. The popularity increased greatly during the pandemic and that was because people were skating outdoors because a lot, there were no, you couldn’t go into rinks. So people were skating outdoors and then you have social media so people were, that’s when it actually got more popular again because you had, they have periods where skating, you know, up and down periods of rad skating popularity. We’re in one of those stages right now and everybody roller skates and if you go to YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, you have people doing little skate moves. Of course, they all have the shorts, um, so you’ll see people like a one-minute clip of a couple skating. So everybody roller skates, all age groups, you know how to stay in your lane. Nobody in their 30s really wants to skate with somebody 18, you know, 13 to 18. So there are sessions for all age groups in different places.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So do you consider yourself a professional skater?

Marcie Hill
I do not consider myself a professional skater but I do consider myself a good skater because I’ve been skating, what, consistently since 2008. But, um, there was a period where I got a job and it just messed up my social life and my activities so now I have to go back and get, you know, get back to the level I was. But I, I, I’m a good skater.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, but I also know in Chicago though, Chicago is known for a style of, um, called JB skate which is, you’ll see, you see a lot. It was very popular, it started in the 1970s and I don’t have a full origin of when it started or where it began, like which rink it originated at, but that’s a very not so easy, I want to say it’s complicated but it’s not very easy to learn and that’s the style that you’ll find a lot of rinks nowadays, particularly upon, um, among younger people. More older people you see just regular skating, they’ll do their, they set the forward, the backward, the couple forward, couple backwards, the reverse backward, um, trios and things like that. So you have, even though everybody skates, everybody has his or her own thing.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh, so what’s JB skating?

Marcie Hill
James Brown and as soon as, um, and it’s hard to explain because I don’t, I just do the research and I don’t know how to explain it but I can say that I’m trying to learn some of the moves and I should have learned those moves 20 years ago. But if you look at them online, you’ll see like it’s very, the people that do it well, very smooth and they have these moves where you, if you don’t understand how the moves are done, you’ll be scratching your head because I just learned some moves like within the last couple months that I’ve been watching for years but I never understood them and I had very few people who could break it down the way the instructor breaks it down that I’m going to. So they’re not hard but you have to understand the technique and you know the technique behind it.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, well a question came in. It says, oh, it’s two questions came in. What is your favorite song that you skate to?

Marcie Hill
My favorite song changes but for the slower song, well there’s a song now called, and it’s old, it’s called “The Life of the Party” by, I don’t know who made it, I forgot who made it, but it’s a very sexy song. So every now and then I like to hear that. It’s not, you know, it’s a sexy song to me to skate to. Um, so that’s one but anything that’s, I really don’t have a skate, a favorite skate song. I go through these periods like for the last, last year my song was this one from “Me and You” by Johnny Gil, New Edition.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, I just go through things.

Marcie Hill
Okay, it depends on the rhythm maybe, right? And it has to have a consistent beat because some songs, like the DJ will play, what’s a song? I don’t understand why they played at the rink, several of them, but there are some songs this, I don’t, and I don’t think they’re conducive to skating but then maybe people who skate often know more than me but I’m not there all the time, so yeah, it’s, it’s the music takes you.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, and the second question that came in here is what is your advice to those who have never skated?

Marcie Hill
Take a lesson because right now in Chicago, well we have four rinks in the city of Chicago. We have two rinks, the Rink Fitness Factory on 87 and Greenwood and then we also have the MLK Center and I know the rink has lessons Tuesday night and they could have changed because I haven’t been since last year. They have lessons Tuesday night, Thursday night, and Saturday morning. They may have more but I do know those days. Then we also have three suburban rinks, let me, you more. I know we have Glenwood, Lywood, and Fleetwood and I know their lessons at Glenwood and Fleetwood but I’ve never been to, um, Lenwood. I don’t know if I don’t know what their schedule is or if they have Glenwood and Lywood are south suburbs right outside of Chicago and the other one is on Summit and Harlem, so that’s Southwest.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah, yeah. So that’s, um, I do know and then I know Tinley Park is still open. Tinley Park rink, but I don’t go there so I can’t, that’s a sou sub. But what about the northern suburbs? Are there any rinks?

Marcie Hill
So where’s Aurora? Aurora is still open but I don’t, I don’t know directions. Is that nor Aurora, Illinois? Right, that’s about an hour from Chicago. Yeah, they’re still open but those are the only rinks I’m aware of, okay, close by that, um, skaters will travel to.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, okay. So do you, I would definitely say take a lesson and everybody who, because I wasn’t a good skater when I started. I skated as a kid but you will have people that, like the instructors know you’re afraid and at, well the last time I went to the rink, there was one instructor, Calvin, like he will actually, well he used to, I don’t know if he’s still, if he’s still there, he will actually hold your arm, hold your hand, you know, for the people who are afraid because you let, you know you’re new. So he will help you and most people come in, hey, I want to skate but I’m afraid and people know that, especially when you’re a beginner. So you have people that who help you. I would definitely say if you want to learn how to skate, I would encourage you to go if only one time because you may not like it or if you go that one time, you may really enjoy it. But there are lessons and go during the time with your lessons.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So what has been your most memorable skating experience?

Marcie Hill
Memorable, not memorable, memorable when I learned how to skate backwards and comfortably because I mean, you’re afraid, that’s not something you do. Well, first of all, let me just start by saying skating is the whole thing because first of all when you skate, you’re skating kind of clockwise and then they’ll tell you to go reverse backwards. So you want, yeah, it’s just, but it’s fun. Um, so yeah, skating back was, I think that was the main thing because when you tell people you skate, that’s one of the first questions everybody asks, ask go say, well can you skate backwards?

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Right, right.

Marcie Hill
But you, it’s not that hard once you, once you learn it, it’s not that hard.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So are there any skaters, like favorite skaters that have influenced you or inspired you, like a skater you know that you watch?

Marcie Hill
You know, there are a lot of skaters and I don’t have the names of all the people that have inspired me but I can, um, say and give kudos to the people who taught me how to skate and one of those people is, um, Anita Roberts who’s the skate coach at Glenwood. But when I first started skating, there were a lot of good skaters, there was, um, skating instructors. So it was Anita, Paul, and I’m just saying first names, Anita, Paul, Calvin. There was a guy, Big John. Big John was, they said he was one of the more popular JB, he’s no longer with us but he was one of the more popular JB skaters and I’m so honored to have had the privilege of his tutelage while he was here. Most of that stuff I did not know how to do but I’m so glad he saw me and tried to help me. But I’m thankful to everybody and then another person I’m thankful for is my husband, J. Dennis. We met at Glenwood and he was, um, he helped me with a lot of escape moves.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh yeah, but you met your husband at the skating rink?

Marcie Hill
I did! And I remember Anita had actually, I had some, when I first started skating, I had picked up the skates. I had, I was so proud I had this, you know, had skates at home so I thought I was doing something and then I got to the rink and there was a guy there, Mr. Benny, and Mr. Benny, Mr. Benny is like 82 or 83, I hope he’s not watching this. Mr. Benny still skates, he looks good and he still has a ponytail, hot diggity dog! But, and he has a, um, skate shop on 79th off of Jeffrey. So he, so he still helps people with the skates. So when I got there, I thought I was doing something, he was like, oh those are kid skates!

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh!

Marcie Hill
Like, and then whenever I need help, I was doing something and, um, Anita told Dennis to help me with it. So he will always help me with moves and then we started seeing each other and then we eventually got married with a whole story behind it.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yes, okay ladies, go to the skating rink, might find, be mindful there are a lot of vultures out there. I call a good one because when you go to a rink and you’re, because everybody knows when you do because you’re afraid, you’re the one in the floor not bending and you have all of these men coming at you like, oh you skate like this and they can’t even skate that well, their technique doesn’t, no, some of them really can’t skate but they’ll try to help you and then, yeah, so you have to be mindful of the vultures.

Marcie Hill
Okay, and then they’ll grab you, you know, because you can’t skate forever, grab you around your waist, no I don’t, no thanks! And it’s okay to say no thanks.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So have you ever competed, uh, been in skating competitions?

Marcie Hill
I have not, but let me just say two things about that. I was in a, um, a skate show years ago, CA, um, and I don’t know if Anita still has them but she had, or even I think they had a skate show at the rink. So they do have skate shows and I was in one years ago, I’ll probably never do it again but the experience was cool. And then as far as competitions, they still have roller skate competitions. You wouldn’t know about it unless you were in that circle but Dennis’s nieces are competitive skaters and they do travel and I don’t know where they travel to but they do travel for competitions and there’s a guy and his partner, I can’t, I know his name is Darius and I can’t think of his partner’s name but before the pandemic, they made it so they had, have, I don’t know if it’s, I know they have regionals, nationals, and then international.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Wow!

Marcie Hill
They made, um, what is, I cannot think of her name, I think it was Samantha but Darius and Samantha made it to international so they, um, were in, I think in Italy or I don’t know why, no, somewhere in Europe for competitions. So they still have roller skating competitions and unless you’re in that circle, you really wouldn’t know about them but I was told that there’s something coming up soon at Lywood rink, a competition.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah, they have competitions and the competitors are from, I know the last time we went from Wisconsin, Illinois, I’m not sure from Indiana but they’re like Midwest, the ones that were at the competition we attended.

Marcie Hill
Oh, I want more thing about competition. When I talk to skaters about being in competitions, a lot of them that, you know, the seasoned people said they started skating competitions when they were older. So they were like in their 30s and 40s when they first started skating competition and that was back in the day. But also the very first black competitive skaters, um, skate winners were from Chicago and they were, I know it, it’s Mara because she gave me information. I can’t think of Marsha’s last name. Um, I think they skated at the rink and Mara told me that the owner of the rink at the time, Nate Simpson, invested in their skating, um, their skate lesson. So they used to go to the rink and it wasn’t, I can’t think of where the El was but he got them, um, sent them to the Elm rink to get skating lessons to prepare them for competitions.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, but that’s a little known fact because had I not had that conversation with Mara, I would have never, I would not have ever known that information.

Marcie Hill
Wow! So competitive black competitive skaters were from the rink but I don’t know who the first black competitive skater was in Chicago. I’m still looking for that information.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, okay. Another question came in, it says do you have some names or the, in of the instructors who can advance our knowledge of skating? In other words, who, if, if let’s say for the viewers who are here in Chicago or, you know, surrounding areas, who would you recommend for us to go and learn to skate, especially people like me who are scared to death?

Marcie Hill
I don’t have names, okay, but I know Anita is still, see, but I’m not sure Anita is still, um, if she’s still skating. I know she’s still coaching but I’m not sure if she’s still skating. And then I know, and I don’t know the names of the people at the rink, so I don’t have names but I would definitely say find those skate lessons and let them know that you’re a beginner and you can get help. And also at the rink, I know there are a few people that have, um, individual sessions. I don’t know how much they are and for, and how much they cost. I mean, who, well I know there’s a guy, um, I know Calvin did it but like I said, I haven’t seen Calvin so I’m, and I haven’t been to the rink so I know he does it. There’s a young lady, Maisha, who does it and, um, I cannot think of, they call him Batman and I see them but his name is Josh and I know those three people give individual lessons at the rink but I don’t know their schedules or their prices.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Alright, so this other question just came in, um, how has skate, how has roller skating impacted your life outside of the sport?

Marcie Hill
Other than the fact that of course you, you met your husband there, actually it has given me a lot of confidence because skating is not easy and when I first started skating, you know, everybody’s, you know, scary, you’re wobbling and things but then as you learn to move whatever it is correctly because you can learn something and look a mess. Once you learn the correct technique, you practice it like, okay, I got this. But then it gives you the confidence to do the next thing, right? So when I first started skating, I was in transition from Human Resources to writing and when people would ask me, oh are you a writer? Like, um, I don’t know because I hadn’t gained that confidence yet. But the more I skated, the more my confidence grew as a writer and even now with skating, like because people say, well can you skate? Yeah, I can skate but I wouldn’t say back then I’m a good skater and even though I don’t have the skill level I had years ago, I’m still a good skater.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, wow! So if we’re going to start skating, what, okay, let’s say you have inspired me and I want to take up skating. What do I need? Do I need any special gear or special, what do I need? Do I need, and confidence? I mean, but if you are, you know, really, you like some people wear knee pads if you that, you know, you should have those elbow pads but those are the two things I can say. I didn’t have those when I started skating. I just had skates and no confidence. So those are two things and then going with the right mindset because a lot of people will say, oh I’m going to fall. Well, if you think you’re going to fall, guess what? You are! But if you say, go in and say, well I’m not going to fall, you slip up, you’re not falling because your goal is not to hit that floor. So you have to go in thinking I’m going to have fun, not I’m going to fall.

Marcie Hill
Okay, so those are the things, the mind mindset, the confidence and skates and then you can bring your elbow and knee pads if you need to.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, so I think I bring elbow pads, knee pads, ankle pads, ankle booties, wait a helmet? You don’t need a helmet, you’re not going to fall like that and actually, um, when Calvin, in one of his classes, he actually, he actually teaches you how to fall. So when you go in, yeah, there’s an art of falling or an art of falling. So when you go in, ask, you know, they say if you have any questions, what you ask, know how do I fall?

Marcie Hill
Oh, okay, art, okay. And this last question here that just came in is there a section of the rink dedicated for seniors?

Marcie Hill
There is not but if you go to Glenwood on Monday, I know Glenwood on, I know Sunday mornings and I think Thursday mornings, everybody you see there, I promise you they’re over 60.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay.

Marcie Hill
Most everybody but those are two sessions I know they’re over 60. I’m not sure about the rink or 87.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay.

Marcie Hill
But you will feel very comfortable and even if you don’t skate and, and I’ll say too, when you go to the rink, there’ll be, unless you’re standoffish, there will be at least one person who speaks to you. So it’s not like you’re there totally, you can come with a friend but see somebody like me, I talk to anybody. So you, I mean, you’re going to have somebody who say, why aren’t you skating or do you want to go here and skate? And don’t be afraid to ask, like tell them I’m afraid to skate, can you go with me? There are people who will help other people help you.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
You need some pads for your butt too!

Marcie Hill
I said wear some of those pants with the fake booties and she said she needs courage!

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh my goodness! So Marcy, you know, it’s been a pleasure. I learned a lot that, you know, I didn’t really know about skating because I definitely didn’t know that it started in 1800, in the 1800, you know, the first rink in Chicago or in Europe but that’s the first rink in Chicago. And so, you know, I am going to get butt pads. I’m glad you added that, GN duck duck, I’m going to get all those pads. And Marcy, what I’m going to do is find you and I’m going to try.

Marcie Hill
Oh, another thing, um, a fellow Toastmaster, Arturo Barnes, one of our fellow Toastmasters actually, um, go to the MLK Center which is right across the street from our meetings at Thir Marshal after some of the meetings. So we could all make a date to go over there and skate one Saturday because he said there are only a few people there when he goes and that’s around 11:30 in the morning and that’s why I hate to say stuff, folks be taking you at your stuff. I’m just saying if you want to go, let me know right after our session.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Alright, well Marcy, thank you so much for being the guest today. You have really informed us and educated us about skating.

Marcie Hill
Well, thank you for having me and it’s been a pleasure and you know I will see you soon at Toastmasters because you are a member of The Toastmasters Club, MJM Speaker Circle and our next meeting is Saturday, March second and from 9:30 to, no, from 10 to 11:30. And if anyone is interested in becoming a Toastmaster or just improving their leadership skills and their speaking skills, look up MJM Speaker Circle on Toastmasters International.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Well, right, we only got a minute. It says here, Sandy Barney in it says black people were allowed to skate back in the day and there they had or experienced freedom. Thank you, Sandy! Thank you for that compliment. So we only have a couple of minutes to go but Marcy, again, thank you so much. I really appreciate it and we’re all going to be just as good as you in roller skating. So the next time I’mma bring you on and then, uh, we’re going to have videos of me and gndn dunar with her butt pad and we’re going to show people that we learned to roller skate.

Marcie Hill
So bye-bye!

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! And thank you viewers for watching this evening. I hope you learned something about roller skating and for those who weren’t there, who weren’t here at the beginning and wonder why I have my mask on, it’s because I broke my tooth in the front and I had to go to the dentist. He couldn’t do anything with it other than pull it, so now I gotta wait for another tooth. So that’s why I got my mask on. But anyway, thank you all so much for viewing and I want you to remember there are all kinds of relationships, all kinds of relationship matters and even relationships with roller skating. Alrighty, have a beautiful blessed rest of your morning, afternoon, or evening. And if, oh well thank you Sandy Bery and I had to put that on, oops, almost show my, she said you still started. Thank you, SB! Alrighty, so see you all next week on the Relationship Matters TV show. [Music] Bye-bye! [Music]