Happy Black History Month! The month of February is recognized as a time where we can come together to celebrate not only the achievements of black people in history but those of people in our communities who are an inspiration to all.

In honor of Black History Month, the Bicycle Coalition, Indego, and the Better Bike Share Partnership are hosting a free group ride called Black Excellence: Past and Present. Keep reading to learn more about the ride and how you can join!

The Black Excellence: Past and Present ride will introduce you to the historic Seventh ward of Philadelphia. This area, bounded by Spruce and South streets and extending from 7th Street to the Schuylkill River, was home to W.E.B. Du Bois during the late 1890s. Du Bois was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University, he co-founded the NAACP, and is known for writing the seminal book of essays, “The Souls of Black Folk.”

Did you know that there used to be an underground railroad station right off of South Street? According to WHYY, the station was operated by William and Letitia Still, who hid hundreds of escapees and were, “second only to Harriet Tubman in Underground Railroad operations.” We will stop at the site of the underground railroad station as well as the Institute for Colored Youth, now called Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, which was the first historically black institute of higher education.

Along with the historical stops, we would also like to highlight current Black
entrepreneurs who are shaping this community. We will make stops at black-owned businesses, Atomic City Comics and Marsh and Mane. The owners will come out and speak to us about their experience of owning their businesses and their mission.

Interested in joining? You can reserve an Indego bike in advance or bring your own bike! Helmets will be provided for anyone who needs one. Click the link below to register and celebrate the end of Black History Month with a bang! #rideindego

This blog was written by Maryem Gad, the Bilingual Community Liaison for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is a nonprofit advocacy and education organization working as part of the Better Bike Share Partnership to support bike share and biking education. The Better Bike Share Partnership is funded by the JPB Foundation.