On October 3rd, in the first half of the championship game of the Rollin’ on the River 2010 WFTDA Western Region Tournament, the derby community, event goers, and an international broadcast audience were shocked to see a member of the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls wearing what appeared to be Blackface theatrical makeup. Reactions ranged from shock and outrage to… well… obliviousness. The impact was as far reaching as two discussion forums on the The Internet, Twitter, and Facebook. In those profound discussions the skater’s act has been described as everything from a racist attack to an unfortunate mistake. Most tend to lean toward the unfortunate mistake. But just how much impact can one mistake make on modern roller derby? And why is Jamitinya’s slip garnering so much attention in a community rife with lewd, offensive, and insensitive images and actions at its core?

What Amanda Jamitinya Did

For the first time in that tournament weekend (maybe in her derby career?) Jamitinya joined her team’s established tradition of painted faces in play. Deranged, Psycho Babble, and Ecko are all three easily recognizable Rocky Mountain skaters thanks to their distinct paint masks- not to be outdone by their outstanding skating skill. Jamitinya’s choice of war paint: An homage to her friend and teammate Ecko’s white “skull” mask inspired by the film Dead Presidents:

Ecko of RMRG and Delilah of Dead Presidents. Ecko doesn't need firearms to kill it on the track.

As the opposite of white-with-black is black-with-white, the result ended up looking inspired by films of a different era:

What We Saw

I was track side when Rocky Mountain took the floor. Draggin Lady (announcer, Rose City Rollers) was at my side as we were consoling each other over the recent Wheels of Justice loss to Bay Area. I remember watching the skaters taking their warm-up laps, being jolted by the image of Jamitinya, and asking Draggin “is that skater in blackface?” We gave each other a puzzled look then shook our heads and went about our business. I almost instantly recognized that the skater’s makeup (it was later I identified her as Jamitinya) was the contrast of Ecko’s- I’ve known the Rocky Mountain team for years and had seen Ecko skate in that war paint on a number of occasions- but that didn’t make the image of Jamitinya any less unsettling.

Anyone who traveled to Sacramento for the tournament was in the auditorium for that championship bout so the seats were packed. Most of the fans in attendance and participants were well aware of the Rocky Mountain war paint shenanigans and could quickly make the association, but even seeing the two skaters together in contrasting black and white didn’t tell of their intent. We’d also set an online viewership high for the weekend of somewhere around 1,200 watching the live stream. These fans, skaters, and I’m sure in some cases derby virgins didn’t get to see the two skaters together as we could. Even if they saw Ecko and Jamitinya in separate shots or different games, drawing that connection from a switched streaming video feed was, I’m sure, not obvious to most viewers.

And if the Championship game was the only game you tuned in for you had no background on these teams or their face painted skaters or why one of the skaters would dawn Blackface. So the obvious conclusion to be drawn by the internet? Racism.

What most didn't see: The intended contrast between the two skaters' war paint.

What Ted Danson Did

In 1993 actor Ted Danson intentionally wore Blackface to a Friars Club Roast of Whoopi Goldberg [article]. Friars Club Roasts are no-holds-barred comedic, celebratory personal assaults on celebrities that are known for crossing the line of decency and socially acceptable humor. The tradition of lewd and offensive behavior in the Roast series didn’t save Danson (and the Friars Club) from a barrage of attacks about how his routine was inappropriate and insensitive. His actions didn’t pass quietly.

Goldberg and Danson came up with his blackface skit together. They thought it would be fun and mostly harmless. Their intent was innocent enough.

Action, Reaction and Re-Reaction

Amanda (left) skated without war paint in the second half of the game. Unfortunately notoriety doesn't wash off so quickly.

Derby is a fast paced and spastic sport. 2 minute jams, 30 minute periods, 3 day & 17 game tournaments. Things come and go so quickly that very little sticks. Games are forgotten, players retire into obscurity, and nobody keeps track of the roster for a challenge scrimmage at Roller Con. Unless it’s posted to the internet.

The reaction from the panel of WFTDA representatives seated track side to preside over the event was swift and subtle. The video crew was asked to avoid broadcasting Jamitinya’s face as much as possible. Jamitinya’s war paint disappeared between the first and second half of the game, supposedly on the request of WFTDA’s own Grace Killy. Jamitinya was not removed from the game nor has any further official investigation been announced (not that it would be).

The reaction from the viewers at home was swift but it definitely wasn’t subtle. The live bout chats and twitter instantly took the bait. By the next day message boards were discussing the incident. The longest run of exchanges seems to have finally died out on October 11th, more than a week after the bout. The Derby Deeds podcast made mention of the war paint in their October 8th episode.

And now here I am- two weeks after the bout- not allowing this thing to die.

The Way It’s Seen

Nik Jagger has been in contact with Amanda Jamitinya, they’ve been playing phone tag for about a week as we’d like to hear from her how this all came about, her intentions, and the backlash she’s had to deal with. With South Centrals last weekend and Championships looming on the horizon, this is the season for skating and cheering not phone interviewing. Jamitinya is preparing, along with her team, to roll all over Chicago’s tournament and defend my pride in the Bestern Region. They even have a way you can help them get there (sorry, I bought all the beer).

I understand that Jamitinya made a mistake. I can accept that neither she nor Ecko nor the rest of the team made the connection between her war paint and Blackface or understood the implications of the imagery. I believe wholeheartedly that their intentions were innocent.

But ignorance and negligence do not equal innocence.

These women- the WFTDA Western Region’s Champions- are a face of modern roller derby. They are representing the highest level of skill and sportswomanship our community has to offer. They are what fans find great about this sport, what potential fans are drawn to, and what skaters of all ages look to as role models. And therefore- thanks to their success- these women are burdened with representation responsibilities that can’t be fixed with “oops, my bad.”

In my opinion this just another slip in a series of unfortunate occurrences of Rollergirls Behaving Badly; reckless and negligent acts & decisions that highlight ones own qualities but speaks for the rest of the community. Roller derby is a young sport that- even with the movies, books, and teams in every town- has yet to catch the attention of most of the United States let alone the world. That means the general public is still impressionable when it comes to our sport.

What do we want the world to think of Roller Derby? What’s the impression you want them to get on first glance? How do you want to frame this thing you do every Saturday night and most week nights? Do you want people to know you’re playing a real sport of strength, strategy, and skill? Do you want them to know the blood, sweat, and hits are real? Or do you want them to identify your hobby as that group of girls in fish nets with risque names and police rap sheets?

You only get one chance to make a first impression.

What You Do Matters – For All of Us

Amanda Jamitinya was representing my sport and yours. As inconsequential as it may seem, her war paint will stand out as a stronger image in the minds of some people than any other roller derby photo highlighting athleticism. It’s one of those things that can’t be un-seen or the damage un-done.

Fortunately the impact of Jamitinya’s actions and image were not far reaching. She didn’t make the AP headlines like Ted Danson and Sadistic Sadie. As far as I know, no civil liberties groups are on the offensive. But that doesn’t make her innocent and this shouldn’t be forgotten- this incident should serve as a wake up call for all skaters to understand who, what, and how they represent when they’re on the track.

"Welcome to our PG-13, family friendly event. To help expand your child's vocabulary we've included a derby lexicon in the rear of your program."

I don’t have to look any further than my own league to find more examples: Incognegro, Wetback Attack, and Twat Rocket are all skaters for Rose City Rollers. A new member recently inquired if she could skate under the name “Startin’ Shit.” Look- I’m all for personal liberties and freedom of expression, but really- is this the best way you can find to represent yourself? You’ve joined roller derby to play a sport. Your best and most impressive form of expression to the roller derby community and those who patronize roller derby bouts is your skill as a skater, not the name you skate under.

My league’s board of directors recently discussed reigning in the names for our league’s image. My point at the time was skaters and super fans be damned, it’s moving up and reaching a wider fan base that has me worried. The first time I hear we’re turned down from playing a venue like the Rose Garden Arena or Portland Coliseum because the name “Twat Rocket” doesn’t fit their intended atmosphere, I’ll be more than a little miffed. It’s not even about “selling out” or “going mainstream,” it’s about reaching new audiences who are the potential for new skaters and members of our community.

We, roller derby, can bring a better sport, better competition, and a better show to mainstream American than they’re accustomed to seeing… but mainstream America will balk at our racial slurs and sexual undertones. So what are we really achieving with these acts? At what point should someone step in and point out that your actions or expressions are too over the top and possibility limiting our sport’s possibility for acceptance and advancement?

But maybe you’re not here to play a sport? We can’t put limits on performance art.

Stop Hatin’

Look, I don’t think derby needs a Big Brother watching its every move and controlling how our skaters express themselves. I’d be one to talk- I was a cross-dressing referee for two seasons. I’m also not the type who wants to put rules and regulations on everything. And I am by no means a measure of good judgment or moral behavior. What I want is for skaters to start taking personal responsibility for themselves. I want them thinking of how their actions and expressions will impact their sport, their fans, and their fellow skaters. I want us, as a community to know better and do better and be prepared to stand up to one another when someone has gone over the edge.

What I don’t want is a racist stigma attached to our sport. Or an X-rated one. Or a criminal one. Or one that keeps families from enjoying the sport. I’m a middle class white male- I shouldn’t be saying the words “twat” and “negro” and “wetback” to anyone, let alone announcing them over a microphone in reference to athletes.

Learn from Jamitinya’s folly. Understand that you have fans and you’re representing a community. Help us keep a positive spin on the track.

[Ed Note: Rocky Mountain Rollergirls Public Relationship representative Dangerous Leigh A’zon has posted a response including RMRG’s stance on the matter in the comments [link].]