“We aim to normalize Blackness in cycling and in outdoor spaces. We want to erase the white savior mentality that is ubiquitous in this industry.”
In order to illustrate what this point means and why it is so important to The Black Foxes, I have outlined below the discussion I had with myself. This internal discussion is a combination of my own personal experience, observations I have made, and information found in my research to form a greater understanding of these issues. By illustrating the information in this way, you may not only gain a deeper understanding of the topic at hand, but you may also learn how to better process other issues in a similar way. By asking the right questions and researching the relevant information from multiple reputable sources, you too can educate yourself on these matters without allowing yourself to be limited by your own experience or the lack thereof.
Why is it seen as unusual for a Black person to be a cyclist or outdoors person?
Historically speaking, Black athletes have been the minority in most sports. This is due to lack of access, exclusion, and oppressive forces beyond our control. Surely you may mention Black heroes like Jesse Owens, Major Taylor, Jackie Robinson, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Simon Biles, and Tiger Woods but have you considered what most of them have in common?
All of these notable athletes are extraordinary. They are so extremely talented that the industry couldn't not exploit them. Their talents are too profitable to ignore… only as long as their humanity is ignored too.
Have you noticed what happens when they try to be themselves, acknowledge their blackness, and take a stand against racism & prejudice? Have you noticed that when they make one mistake, whether it's in a game or in their personal life, they become completely ostracized?
Colin Kaepernick takes a knee to protest police brutality and NFL owners collude to keep him out of the NFL by not signing him. Serena Williams contested an umpire’s call accusing her of cheating by getting coached from her player’s box and he penalized her for reacting how any wronged athlete would by his misjudgment.
When white athletes do anything wrong.. well.. can they do any wrong? Tom Brady deflates a football and just sits out of a few games while the Patriots pay a measly $1 million fine. Athletes like Lance Armstrong manage to get away with cheating--by doping--for years until the evidence is too overwhelming to deny and he finally confesses to Oprah. Not only that, but he is still revered by many as a hero in the sport and has maintained a career within the fitness industry. If it was discovered that an African American pro-cyclist was doping, I highly doubt that anyone would still sponsor them, want to take photos with them (for positive reasons), and treat them with respect. I would also presume that it would make it even more difficult for other Black cyclists as they would be accused of the same anytime they succeeded.
At the very least, it is discouraging for a Black person to witness even the most extraordinary Black athletes being treated unfairly. Imagine how many more Black athletes there could be if they actually felt that they would be treated with the same respect for the same level of talent that they have worked--most times even harder than white folks--to achieve.
Cycling & Outdoor Recreation is hardly being advertised as diverse sport. Advertisements are pervasive to what society believes is “normal”. If all folks usually see on billboards, magazines, and commercials, is glorified images of white people on bikes, then of course they will be shocked to see anything else. That is why there is such a divide in the recreational industry and that is why people look at us Black cyclists like they have just seen a ghost.
Cycling & Outdoor Recreation is not cheap and easily accessible. For the individual, bikes, the gear and the maintenance to ride safely can cost a pretty penny. On a municipal level, it also costs a pretty penny to develop the infrastructure for safe cycling with bike lanes, pathways, crosswalks, trails, bike racks, and so on.
Due to systemic racism, Black people have always suffered from the disparities of accessibility, wealth, education, and public services among all other facets of American civilization. These disparities make it very difficult—nearly impossible most times—for Black youth to experience activities like cycling, golf, tennis, climbing, snow sports, or even equestrianism. I’m sure that reading through that list elicits an image of participants being “white, white, white, white, white, and white”. Sports like basketball, track & field, and football don’t require much more than an open field, a ball, and a willing body. That is the root of the problem.
How does this make a Black person feel?
Being an "unlikely" person in these spaces tends to distract from the whole point of being in them. I ride my bike and take hikes like most people for therapeutic purposes. It's an escape for me to feel in control, and at peace, with my mind and body. It's hard to find that peace when people look at you like you stole something or make comments about why you're wearing sunscreen if you're skin is already dark or how gross your dreads must be since you must never wash them.
Receiving praise for being a Black woman who rides bikes is about as jarring as it is to catch weird looks from white people when I’m riding my bike. It’s isolating and it doesn’t make me feel like I belong. It makes me feel like I’m making noise and I’m always having to justify or explain how I managed to get myself into this space. I acknowledge that it was not easy, and I am grateful for anyone to recognize that, but I don’t want it to limit my narrative. It should be normal.
What has the industry/community done to normalize Blackness in these spaces?
With the Black Lives Matter movement, it seems that the entirety of the industry has at least had to take notice of the under-representation of non-white recreationalists. Unfortunately, only a fraction has been vocal about it and an even smaller fraction has actually taken action to solve it.
Yes, some brands have used Black folks in their advertising in years passed.
But, that does not mean that they are inclusive in their hiring internally or supporting the Black community, and the majority of brands have essentially exploited Black talent by using their likeness in advertising to appear inclusive while compensating them only in product or much less than they pay their white talent or nothing at all. Not even recognition or credit.
Yes, there are organizations and foundations that support the Black community and the underprivileged.
But, they are not all non-profit, they are not all transparent as to how the funds are being used, and they are mostly run by white males who are not best equipped to know how to truly make a difference and flip the script.
Why are they failing?
There seems to be a missing link. Why doesn’t it feel like we are making any advancements towards diversity, equity, and inclusion? Why do Black folks still feel so isolated in the outdoor space? Well it isn’t so much a missing link as it is a build-up of empty efforts. It’s the white savior mentality.
What is the “white savior mentality”?
To understand the white savior mentality, one must understand the devising of the white man’s burden. The “white man’s burden” was a term coined by late 19th century British Victorian poet Rudyard Kipling and, thereafter, endorsed by American imperialist. The poem illustrates this term as the moral obligation held by white American colonizers to conquer and force non-white races to develop within their terms of imperialistic civilization.
“Take up the White Man’s burden, Send forth the best ye breed, Go bind your sons to exile, To serve your captives’ need; To wait in heavy harness, On fluttered folk and wild, Your new-caught sullen peoples, Half devil and half child”
This is the Spanish-American-war propaganda that convinced Theodore Roosevelt and others that the colonization and annexation of the Philippine Islands was justified.
This mentality that non-white people need saving is completely ingrained in how all white civilizations function--even still today. America has been reaping the benefits of this racist concept since the first white men set foot on this soil. Most importantly, this isn’t a concept that is intangible on an individual level. White folks perpetuate this ideal throughout their lives whether, or not, they intend to. Being charitable to Black folks and doing us “favors” should not absolve white guilt because it does not fix the root causes of systemic racism. It smacks a band-aid on a deep, gushing wound.
How can we remedy the disconnect between “white saviors” and underrepresented Black folks?
Industry Leaders:
Assess whether your DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives are just patronizing charity and tokenizing Black people. Is the action you’re taking going to make a difference for Black people as a whole or is just going to make you look good?
Give Black people a voice and the space to be themselves. Don’t put words in their mouth, tell them how they should do things, or force your expectations of their culture. Do not “whitewash” them.
Hire Black people. Give them the power to make the difference on their own terms. Value their work with equitable pay and recognition—athletes, creators, project managers, event planners, consultants, etc. Do not underestimate our capabilities and expect us to work for free. Then, you won’t have to suffer the guilt of exploiting us and our culture.
Community Leaders:
Cultivate a respectful, judgement-free space. Be mindful of what kind of people are already participating and how you present your organization/event. If you claim to be an all-inclusive cycling club but are full of white cyclists who only ride race-pace, I’m going to be very skeptical. If the only sponsored athletes and promoters at an event are white, then I would not feel welcome.
Eliminate barriers. Are there any barriers that might be preventing Black folks from participating? Barriers could be physical, financial, social, etc. Think about what a Black person has to go through to gain access or even hear about it.
Give Black people leadership roles. Let them lead a group ride, let them make decisions on how to spend funds, and let them be the ones to reach out to the community.
Individuals:
Acknowledge our presence with mutual respect. Say “hello”, “how are you”, and “have a good ride”. Don't assume the worst like white supremacy has trained Americans to.
Give us space. We deserve the outdoor space too and all public roads/paths/trails are free space for everyone. Don’t cut us off (fellow cyclists and drivers) and treat us like we are breaking the rules for cycling outside of the neighborhoods you simply assume we should live in.
Don’t limit us to our Blackness. Being Black isn’t all we are. We are still people with everyday lives, families, friends, concerns, careers, and ambitions like anyone else. There is more to talk about than how cool our hair is and whether our melanin-rich skin can still get sunburned too.
Stand up for us and with us. Speak out against others acting unfairly and inappropriately—whether or not we are in the room.
EVERYONE:
Check yourself before you wreck yourself. Ask the hard questions. Make the tough decisions. Be the change you wish to see. Write the story you want to tell your children. Be consistent and headstrong in the fight against racism and the white savior mentality.
I didn't make any of this up. Any one can spend the rest of their life trying to read through the amount of peer-reviewed literature and documented experiences that explain how racism and the white savior mentality is so meticulously embedded into every aspect of our society STILL TODAY. I am lucky to have been able to overcome my own inter-generational financial barriers to attend a good university and spend a year taking Black Studies courses that would inform my identity and make sense of my reality.
One thing school didn't have to teach me was that racism isn't history. I mean that it isn't behind us. It wasn't a trendy thing that our ancestors gave up on after the Emancipation Proclamation or the Civil Rights Movement or even President Obama. If racism was dead, it would be normal to see a Black person enjoying the outdoors without assuming they're running after committing a crime. White folks wouldn't feel the need to donate bikes to Black kids in Africa in order to absolve the guilt of their ancestors putting those Black kids in the position of poverty. RACISM RUNS DEEP.
That being said, it isn't impossible to make strides towards change by throwing a wrench into some of the gears that keep this racist machine running. Be just as conscious of your own day-to-day actions as the long term effects of your behavior. Make your dollar count by supporting the companies and organizations that are following the guidelines I mentioned above. Above all, be selflessly kind.
