Written and Recorded by Abby Wojcik
Intentional space for Black women/gender non-binary Black people to bike, connect and grow
Colored Girls Bike Too (CGBT) is more than a biking group in Buffalo. It’s a movement for people who identify as Black women, and/or gender nonconforming Black people to connect over the common interest of biking. CGBT was founded in 2017 by Jalonda Hill, who is also known as “Justice,” for the purpose of creating an intentional space for Black women and nonbinary Black people in Buffalo to be free, open and connected.
“CGBT is not only women-centered and racially centered, but it is also inclusive to Black non-binary people, ” Hill explained. “With Colored Girls Bike Too, it’s definitely about feminine energy and all energy, to reclaim strength, to no longer shrink ourselves in the presence of men, and more generally white people and all people. So, that’s why we consider our events, workshops, and our online presence to be a safe space from all of that.”
In July 2019, CGBT hosted a group ride from downtown to Canalside to raise awareness for mental health. After the ride, the group gathered in the grass at Canalside to share their feelings, stresses and coping mechanisms in order to start an open dialogue about their personal and shared experiences.
“When I bike, it’s to be free,” Hill shared at Canalside. “It’s to be free from every label, everything that people try to project onto me. I find that biking promotes mental wellness and allows for me to connect with myself, and to not seek out other people to find that connection. Additionally, biking has been one of the only tools to assist me within my journey of healing from past trauma.”
CGBT is meant to empower, respect, include and listen to all those who need it. They are intentional in being a welcoming space in their language and in being politically present.
One of the recent issues they’ve spoken up on is the issue of parking rate increases in downtown Buffalo. Specifically they commented on GoBike’s editorial “1,000 Ways to Get Downtown: Downtown Parking Price Increase.”
In their statement, GoBike addresses how Buffalo’s proposal for increasing parking rates downtown from $1 an hour to $2 an hour are to discourage downtown employees from using street parking all day. Research shows that parking spots intended for high turnover use are actually being taken up by downtown employees, who’s cars stay put all day.
They also make the statement that “[b]y using additional revenue gained from increased parking rates to support GO Buffalo Niagara and other programs to encourage alternative transportation, we can decrease our parking demand throughout the city, allowing us to create a healthier, cleaner, safer, and more vibrant city.”
GoBike sees the price increase as an opportunity to encourage people to change their mode of transportation, whether that be biking, carpooling or public transport. This will hopefully free up spots all together and decrease the amount of single-occupant cars going into the city during the day.
“It is more than a biking issue, but a transportation issue,” Hill stated. “Anytime anything changes as it relates to costs, it always falls disproportionately on the poor, but especially on Black communities. I think transportation overall is a controversial issue, just in poor communities and communities of color all around.”
While CGBT and GoBike agree on the encouragement of biking in general, CGBT encourages us all to look at the bigger picture as it applies to race, class and gender. Part of CGBT’s mission is to destigmatize biking for Black people, especially for Black women.
Hill chooses to use her bike as her sole source of transportation, riding it in all weather conditions, all year long. She realizes this might not be a realistic option for everyone, but she wants to move past the stigma, negativity and judgment that comes when choosing to bike, as well as encourage others to do so.
“The reason why it’s a lot easier for me is because I’ve been doing it for over a year,” Hill reflects, “but when I first started out, I was discouraged because of the responses I would get from people. I felt that imposter syndrome, like I shouldn’t be doing this. I’ve been told by people that I’m not a biker, or that I’m acting like a white girl, or I’m acting like a white person because I’m choosing to not only ride my bike, but ride in the correct way which is in the roads.”
Hill started CGBT to counteract the discouragement she received, and to build a community of like-minded people to empower her while hopefully doing the same for others.
By joining the CGBT’s Facebook page, you will see tips on how to ride in difficult situations, be invited to workshops to learn how to take care of your bike and meet other people who want to bike. From biking to work and the grocery store, to getting your nails done, CGBT is there to ride alongside.
Biking gives you the opportunity to appreciate the beauty and history of Buffalo, but it also opens your eyes to the controversy, gentrification and neglect that exists. CGBT aims to give more Black people the opportunity to explore Buffalo in this way, while also exploring themselves in the process.
UPDATE SINCE 2019 and into the post-COVID era of protest and movements for justice and equity sweeping the nation:
“Black Women Are On the Front Lines of social justice…please check out our FB page.” – Jalonda Hill.
See additional motivation for CGBT from Jalonda with GOBike Buffalo here.
