Bicycling and SRAM to Host Discussion With Black Trans, Femme, Women, and Non-Binary Cyclists.
In a year experiencing both a pandemic and social uprising, the bicycle has never been more important, says Grace Anderson, co-director for the PGM ONE Summit, a grassroots organization that fights for environmental justice and collective liberation. A bike is transportation, it is health, it is an escape, and it’s a form of protest.
Though the people who ride bikes cover an impressively broad spectrum, many vital voices in the bike world never get a chance to speak up. So Anderson approached Bicycling about hosting a discussion that elevates brilliant riders often left out of the bigger cycling dialogs.
In partnership with SRAM, Bicycling will host Cycling at the Intersections, a free, live discussion of the experiences of Black trans, femme, women, and non-binary cyclists, to be held October 21 at 12 pm ET.
Click here to register for the free event.
The event will feature four guests who speak to different intersections of race, gender, and cycling, says Anderson, who will moderate the discussion. “I’m excited for the audience to meet them, to enjoy their humor, and to hear their different perspectives on life and riding,”says Anderson
The goal of the discussion is something every rider can appreciate: getting more people on bikes. And they’ll approach it, Anderson says, by exploring biking for health and wellness, using it as a tool for liberation, and the current and historic state of Black folks on bikes.
The discussion guests include:
Iresha Picot (she/her), a Southern Black Woman, currently residing in Philadelphia. Iresha has spent the last decade working in Behavior and Mental Health as a Licensed Behavior Specialist and Therapist, a community activist and birth worker. She enjoys all things fitness, including cycling, Zumba, and daily meditative walks.
Tamika Butler (she/her/they/them), a contributing writer for Bicycling and a national expert and speaker on issues related to the built environment, equity, anti-racism, diversity and inclusion, organizational behavior, and change management. As the Principal + Founder of Tamika L. Butler Consulting, she focuses on shining a light on inequality, inequity, and social justice. Tamika also served as a guest editor on the Bicycling feature story “Why We Must Talk About Race When We Talk About Bikes.”
Zahra Alabanza (she/her) conjures enthusiasm for life by practicing pleasure and play, living simply and seeking joy. Being a parent, organizer, creator, and adventurer are a few roles that allow her to explore the depths of her pleasure and joy. She utilizes experience as a creator as the root of her community organizing efforts to enhance the quality of life among Black folk. Her work centers Black women, children and queer folks and meets at the intersection of justice, principled living, healing, quality of life and Black liberation.
Jesi Harris (any pronouns) is a Master of Urban Planning student at USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy. She hails from North Carolina where as an UNC - Chapel Hill undergrad, she fell in love with the bicycle as a sustainable, affordable, self-powered form of transportation. Upon graduating in May 2021, she hopes to build a career in affordable, sustainable development.
In addition to the discussion, viewers will also receive a list of potential action items based on the conversation, like organizations to support, says Anderson. “The biggest questions we get with discussions like this are always, ‘What’s next? What can we do?’”
As part of their compensation for participating, the guests and moderator will choose a group to receive a mini-grant of $1,100. “This allows these brilliant riders to redistribute money to organizations and initiatives that are important to them,” says Anderson.
Tamika is supporting Lambda Literary, which champions LGBTQ books and authors. Iresha’s mini-grant will go to the Womanist Working Collective, a social action and support collective for Black womyn, transwomen, and gender variant folks. Zahra is supporting Fort Negrita, a member cooperative that increases awareness of a non-extractive, environmentally-functional lifestyle. Jesi’s will go to Sex Workers' Outreach Project USA, a national social justice network dedicated to fundamental human rights of sex workers focused on ending violence and stigma. And Grace’s will support Southern Fried Queer Pride, a non-profit empowering Black queer and QTPOC centered communities in the South through the arts.
“Ultimately, our hope is that people will listen, find ways to contribute, and stand behind our leadership,” says Anderson. "I think Black folks are able to hold a vision to move us all forward.”
Register for Cycling at the Intersections.
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