BIPOC is an acronym that stands for black, indigenous, people of color. The term has been entering the mainstream more, especially considering the turmoil the US has endured over the last four years, with racism raising its ugly head. It’s especially relevant locally, with a noted lack of ethnic diversity in the Pacific Northwest.
Being of multiracial heritage, being back in the Portland area can feel strange at times. Having spent almost a decade of my life living in San Francisco and Oakland, California, ethnic diversity almost seemed to be the norm.
Like Portland, Oakland is butted up against public green space, and though there aren’t a lot of bike-friendly, multi-use trails, it is possible to ride a bicycle from downtown Oakland into the hills to recreate on bicycle-legal single-track trails owned by the city of Oakland.
On the other hand, the Pacific Northwest has a history of exclusion and racism* that continues today. Although there is an abundant amount of public green space, those of means have successfully lobbied to exclude off-road cycling access to local single track trails under the guise of “conservation” for decades.
Instead of sharing local resources, this discrimination requires Portland off-road cyclists to travel a minimum of two hours by vehicle to participate in off-road cycling opportunities. Not only does it result in a massive carbon footprint, but this policy restricts the activity to those with the financial means to participate.
Mountain biking already often feels like an activity restricted to those with financial means due to the high cost of the equipment required. Adding over two hours of travel time makes it even more difficult for new participants to become involved.
The need for community
Over the last year, those referring to Covid as “the China virus” have made me recognize that normalizing negative terms has a direct correlation to racial violence.
Reading about incidents in the news comes with the realization that each report could be about my mother or grandmother being assaulted in public, simply because of who they are, and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The need for community is stronger than ever, and it was encouraging to see local riders promoting the Portland area’s first BIPOC mountain bike ride.
Attending this event became a priority for me, and I’m pleased to report that it was a pleasure to be able to support and participate in this event as well as meet and socialize with other BIPOC riders in the local community. The level of experience and equipment riders possessed was broad, but all those in attendance, like most mountain bikers, shared a common passion, (in addition to our status as minorities) abundant energy, and enthusiasm for being on bikes in the woods.
The bottom line… the level of excitement was high, and new friendships were forged. The next ride is currently being planned now, and we’re looking forward to actively participating and witnessing the growth of this emerging community.
Thanks to Ruandy Albisurez and Punneh Abdolhossenini for organizing this event, as well as support from William Cortez, and the Northwest Trail Alliance. If you’re interested in participating in the next one, follow @bikepocpnw on Instagram for announcements.
References
Camhi, T. (2020) A racist history shows why Oregon is still so white. OPB.
Strochlic, N. ( 2021) Oregon once legally banned black people. Has the state reconciled its recent past? National Geographic.
Semuels, A. (2016) The Racist History of Portland, the Whitest City in America. The Atlantic.