Why We Must Talk About Race: 14 Stories from Black People Who Love Bikes

I previously shared my short essay written for Bicycling Magazine titled: “Why We Must Talk About Race When We Talk About Bikes: Systemic Racism Can’t Be Fixed Without Tackling It Within Cycling.” After sharing the article on social media, I was harassed by many readers who told me that racism has no place in bicycling. The comments and hate sent my way were nothing new. Talking about racism in transportation has personally impacted me in many ways from lost jobs, to threats, to many tears from people telling me I’m racist or mean for wanting to talk about such “distracting” issues.

But I and many others, including leadership at Bicycling magazine, refused to be bullied. The article, which was shared broadly, also generated many positive comments. Many people reached out to me to share that they had never thought about racism in the context of bicycling.

Knowing that so many people who reached out wanted to know more, hear more, and see more beautiful black joyful folks on bikes, I served as the guest editor of this month’s issue of Bicycling. I was raised by Black women who always taught me that part of my joy, liberation, and success will always be tied to how I treat and share my blessings with others. In that practice, I’m happy to share this issue with so many incredibly important Black stories from brilliant Black people—some you’ve heard of and many more you may not have heard of, but should know. There was a long list of more people I wanted to include and there are more stories to share. There is more to come. I remain committed to sharing my platform whenever I have the chance. I hope you read these important pieces, talk about them, and do something. The time to act is now.

The reality is that, if you weren’t thinking about racism before, that was a choice you were making. I invite you to make the choice to think about racism and anti-Blackness in all you do. What are you doing to fight racism and anti-Blackness? What are you doing to make sure that you are no longer a bystander in the important work of dismantling racism, colonialism, and white supremacy? What are you doing to push yourself, our policies, our decision-makers, and our institutions to atone for past harm and move towards action and true systemic change?

I’m confident that you will find this issue inspiring. I’m excited for you to see it in print, but until then check out all of the impactful stories here.