COMMUNITY PROFILE NATALIE “KILLIFORNIA” DAVIDSON WAITS TO BE BANDAGED BY MEDICS AT THE 2021 BIPOC BOWL. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Continued from page 7 IN SEARCH OF GENUINE INCLUSIVITY Because the roller derby community seeks to be inclusive, it is common to see Pride flags and Black Lives Matter flags hanging in roller derby arenas. It also is not unusual to see skaters wearing stickers on their helmets that designate their preferred pronouns. Despite the surface acceptance, when it comes to the BIPOC community, the roller derby world has encountered recent missteps The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, one of the sport’s governing bodies, had to issue new guidelines on diversity, equity, and inclusion following the 2019 East Coast Derby Extravaganza in Feasterville, PA, which was hosted by Philly roller derby. Typically, officials calling bouts identify a player who has committed a penalty by referencing that player’s number and uniform color. During the event in Feasterville, however, officials misidentified and confused skaters of color with one another. Philly Roller Derby said in an apology posted to Facebook that officials also identified those who had committed penalties by the player’s skin color rather than by uniform color. In their apology, Philly Roller Derby said, “These mistakes were not made in an attempt to cause harm, but these subconscious errors reveal a harmful systemic problem that we need to consciously address.” These types of microaggressions and racist practices create long-lasting wounds in the BIPOC community and can’t be repaired easily. WFTDA lead a series of DEI workshops available via Zoom and issued a new series of inclusivity guidelines for all leagues. Jams said she does not believe there is a genuine effort to allow the BIPOC community to participate fully in roller derby, which is why she said she has worked hard to create the Shiners, the BIPOC Bowl, and provide deeper knowledge of the issue. At Rollercon 2022, which is one of the largest roller derby events in the world, held in Las Vegas each year, Jams taught a class on how to make leagues more just for all participants and more inclusive for BIPOC skaters. While the class was open to everyone, only BIPOC skaters attended. But, Jams’ effort goes beyond seeking equal treatment on the track. “We want to be a part of the Denver community,” Jams said. “The Shiners is a place for Denver’s BIPOC community to come together and be in the community sharing our experiences and making space [for each other].” Norm hopes the Shiners and the BIPOC Bowl will help force change, outside of the small world of roller derby. “You come across people who are true allies, but then, you also have people who are in their journeys learning about these issues we raise,” Norm said. “I think derby really is a STEPHANIE “COSMO” KRAMER SKATES AS THE JAMMER AT THE 2021 BIPOC BOWL. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN JAMS SITS WITH OTHER SKATERS WAITING FOR THEIR NEXT CHANCE TO SKATE AT ROLLERCON IN JULY, 2022. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Q AND NORM PRACTICE BLOCKING AND LEARNING TO USE LEVERAGE TO MOVE OTHER SKATERS AROUND THE TRACK. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN 8 DENVER VOICE April 2023
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