Equity
On today’s date in 1878, Marshall “Major” Taylor was born into an African-American family in Indianapolis. Taylor went on to a groundbreaking career as a bike racer, back in the age when Madison Square Garden was a velodrome and people flocked to see bike races. In an era characterized by the twisted asymmetry of “separate but equal,” when the League’s own membership was divided over racial segregation, Major Taylor flourished as the only African-American cyclist to reach the apex of the racing world.
It’s been a busy week on Capitol Hill for bicycling. Last night, we saw the introduction of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Act in Congress. Earlier yesterday, Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) announced his intention to introduce a bill to empower underserved communities to invest in bicycling and walking networks. This forthcoming bill, he said, is inspired in part by the “The New Majority: Pedaling Toward Equity” report the League produced in partnership with the Sierra Club.
Every time I head to the Golden State, I leave with new energy and inspiration. And I’m still buzzing with all the amazing connections and conversations I had last weekend at the California by Bike Summit 2013. Here are just a few of the highlights…
The League’s new Equity Initiative Manager explores how the rapid pace at which the face of bicycling is changing in America shows that biking isn’t just a healthy way to get around, but a multifaceted world of diverse people who use bikes together.
The co-founder of innovative programs like LA’s City of Lights campaign and the Bicicultures research network, Adonia Lugo has been a leading voice in the burgeoning discussion about bike equity. Now, Lugo will bring that insight and expertise to the League, as our new Equity Initiative Manager.
This post comes from Adonia E. Lugo, a member of the League’s Equity Advisory Council and a Doctoral Candidate in Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine. Yesterday, on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, the Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx, wrote a blog post on transportation and opportunity, in light of this special commemoration. In the post below, Lugo builds off of this discussion, looking at how “streets are social spaces where we challenge or reinforce race and class divides.”
Texas state Senator Rodney Ellis, a major cycling enthusiast and one of the nation’s most bike-friendly state legislators, was in D.C. for the March on Washington this weekend — and we were only too honored to take a ride with him to some of the city’s key civil rights sites.
In honor of National Bike Month, we’re spotlighting how bicycles are tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development with our “Where the Ride Takes Us” web series. Looking through some of the awesome stories and groups in the series made me want take you on an example of a Red, Bike and Green “Community Ride” to show why our motto is “It’s Bigger than Bikes.”
Cross-posted by the League and Sierra Club The “New Majority” that elected a president is also electing to hop on bicycles as a transportation alternative and tool for health and…
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