{"id":178466,"date":"2022-06-02T10:53:30","date_gmt":"2022-06-02T17:53:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=178466"},"modified":"2022-07-21T09:41:42","modified_gmt":"2022-07-21T16:41:42","slug":"peace-peloton-uplifting-black-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/peace-peloton-uplifting-black-businesses","title":{"rendered":"Peace Peloton: Uplifting\u00a0Black-Owned Businesses One Bike Ride at a Time\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cWhat are you grateful for today?\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reginald \u201cDoc\u201d Wilson, the founder of Seattle cycling nonprofit Peace Peloton<\/a>, asks this question a lot. \u201cThat\u2019s how he starts every call,\u201d says Steven Durrant, who served as Peace Peloton\u2019s treasurer for its first year. Wilson might express gratitude for something silly or serious, says Durrant, but \u201cthat\u2019s always the first sentence.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s there for a reason. In his other role as a life coach, Wilson asked this question to set clients at ease. \u201cPeople can be intimidated \u2026 like, \u2018Now I’m going to share my personal feelings with someone who I don’t know, and trust that they\u2019re going to be a good steward of my thoughts and my emotions,\u2019\u201d he explains. \u201cTo disarm that, I would always say something like, \u2018What good happened to you today? What are you grateful for?\u2019 The tone changes every single time.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though seemingly small, that question is what sets the tone for engagement and connection. With Peace Peloton, he\u2019s doing something similar\u2014but on a much larger scale. The cycling group seeks to build prosperity and bolster economic power behind Black-owned businesses, one bike ride at a time, while cultivating an inclusive community of people on bikes that demystifies road cycling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Reginald “Doc” Wilson at a recent Peace Peloton event in Seattle. Photo by Dan DeLong<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Peace Peloton held its first ride on June 6, 2020, in response to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. In the wake of Floyd\u2019s killing on May 25 of that year, people gathered nationally to protest police violence against Black people, and in Seattle, protesters gathered to share their outrage against institutional racism. The protests occurred everywhere, from a centrally located occupied protest zone where the uprising never stopped to the quietest corners of the city, where folks gathered on street corners and Black Lives Matter signage covered both murals and pandemic-shuttered businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid this moment of resistance, Wilson and fellow Seattle cycling-community mainstay Ed Ewing decided to channel the energy of protest into a bike ride in Seattle, inviting cyclists on a 10-mile route to effect change by raising awareness and creating community action. Paul Tolm\u00e9, content strategy and media relations manager for Cascade Bicycle Club, was on that ride, and remembers being struck by \u201ca sense of excitement and community and camaraderie with a goal.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apparently, hundreds of riders felt the same way, including Durrant, who came out to show support. Wilson hadn\u2019t expected 450 people to show up\u2014but they did, and they wanted to do more to fight against systemic injustice. The ride was planned as \u201ckind of a one-time thing,\u201d but Wilson realized there was momentum there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI enjoy cycling, and I wanted that to be a part of any movement I launched and implemented,\u201d says Wilson, adding that a bicycle \u201cis a very disarming tool that brings people together.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making a deeper commitment to social justice through Seattle\u2019s bike community made sense for Wilson, a longtime cyclist who first started organizing rides when he transitioned from mountain biking to road cycling in Washington, D.C., before coming to Seattle. The idea behind those group rides, says Wilson, was to provide an antidote to the \u201cintimidation factor\u201d that often faces new riders trying road cycling for the first time. Now, Wilson had the chance to do something similar, with a larger purpose than simply demystifying a sport unfriendly to beginners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So in 2020 he put his coaching business on hold, applied for nonprofit status and went about the intricate work of transforming protest into \u201csustainable and scalable\u201d work. Durrant offered up administrative support. And Wilson landed on the idea that would inform the organization\u2019s stated mission: \u201cWe spark entrepreneurial opportunities and growth for new and existing businesses and motivated humans\u2014who happen to be Black.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of the other reforms that we were talking about in the beginning [of Peace Peloton and uprisings against police violence across the country],  like health care reform and prison reform, required some sort of legislation,\u201d Wilson explains. But addressing racial economic inequality did not. \u201cEconomic reform just required the willingness of someone to reach in their pocket and exchange their legal tender for the goods and services of whomever they were supporting.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Four
Kevin Kibet (center, in orange) rides with the group at a recent Peace Peloton event in Seattle. Photo by Dan DeLong<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Peace Peloton today, that exchange takes the form of three initiatives: Fresh Air Rides; Night Markets; and Barbecue, Bikes and Beer, all of which drive economic reform through partnerships with small and Black-owned businesses in the Seattle area whose owners are invited to speak to ride participants about their work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group\u2019s mission resonates with Kevin Kibet, who is a frequent Peace Peloton ride participant\u2014often with his two kids, ages 7 and 10, in tow. They\u2019ve traversed north Seattle with Peace Peloton. Kibet was drawn to the opportunity to support Black-owned businesses as \u201ca concrete way to really say, \u2018Black lives matter,\u2019 and so, in that sense, \u2018Black businesses matter\u2019 … it was a concrete way I can live out my values.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fresh Air rides, Peace Peloton\u2019s anchor program, are group rides that begin and end at locations where participants can engage with Black-owned businesses or organizations. \u201cWe allow commerce to happen, and we invite the owners or the heads of the organizations to come out and speak to our audience … to invite them back, give them a reason to come back,\u201d explains Wilson. \u201cThat\u2019s the sustainability part. It\u2019s not feasible for us to bring 300 people to your business every week, so we want to work with these organizations to figure out a way to \u2026 keep people coming back.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quarterly Barbecue, Bikes and Beer events, bring this aim to Black-owned barbecue joints and tap rooms, while the monthly Night Market highlights local creators. The latter began as a holiday market on a rainy December evening in 2020. \u201cIt was hard to get people out, but still, we championed through,\u201d says Wilson. Wilson\u2019s efforts paid off: The Night Market held this past May drew 2,300 attendees, as well as musicians, food vendors, artists and makers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peace Peloton is also expanding its reach across state lines, with an upcoming tour of Fresh Air rides this summer in Minneapolis; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Oakland, California; <\/mark>and Los Angeles. Each community ride will start and end at the site of a business or local institution that is Black-owned or has Black leadership.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tolm\u00e9 has observed the group’s growth so far and hopes Peace Peloton will continue to spread beyond the Pacific Northwest. \u201cIt is a very powerful statement and a great step in the right direction as we, as bicyclists, who are part of American society and culture, use our bicycles and our interest in bicycling for good\u2014not just for health and recreation and fun rides, but riding and spending our dollars to help others. In this case, especially now, communities of color, businesses of color, have been impacted due to the pandemic and all the economic difficulties it caused,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
At a recent Fresh Air ride, a Peace Peloton cyclist gets a free tuneup in an REI-sponsored tent. Photo by Dan DeLong<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wilson is fostering community with every ride, and, though they aren\u2019t necessarily advertised as such, Durrant says the rides have drawn riders who aren\u2019t regular cyclists, but \u201cfind some community and some comfort riding with each other and get to explore parts of the city that they might not know about.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though Wilson acknowledges that competitive cycling certainly has its place, it isn\u2019t with Peace Peloton, where, he says, \u201cI wanted to eliminate that intimidation factor.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He makes a practice of pairing newer cyclists with experienced riders, and the group\u2019s commitment to inclusivity extends to \u201cmaking sure that we\u2019ve got a safe situation for everybody and that everybody\u2019s got an escort of some sort if they have a mechanical issue or they fall behind,\u201d says Durrant.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This kind of openness is something Wilson would like to see flourish in the outdoors community more broadly. He recalls the dissonance, during his childhood, of seeing commercials featuring outdoor activities like hiking and canoeing. \u201cAs a young Black kid growing up in Gary, Indiana, that was so out of reach for me,\u201d he says. \u201cThe people on the commercial didn\u2019t look like me, and I’m like, \u2018Canoes? We can\u2019t canoe, hike. T<\/mark>here are no mountains here. T<\/mark>hat’s not for us.\u2019 But what I would hear my parents say is: \u2018Go outside\u2019\u2014just the difference between the \u2018outdoors\u2019 and the \u2018outside.\u2019 \u2018Go outside and play.\u2019 And we were like, \u2018Yeah, that doesn’t require much except the energy it takes to open the door and be on the other side of it.\u2019 <\/mark> So now we are successfully outside, and what we do in our time outside is up to us.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truly welcoming everyone outside means building alternatives to cycling\u2019s history of gatekeeping\u2014and that of outdoor recreation more broadly. The world of outdoor activity is full of historically white spaces<\/a>,<\/mark> and exclusionary ideas about who\u2019s allowed to be a cyclist, especially when it comes to race, economic status, body size and gender.  In practice, intentionally deviating from these damaging norms can require adaptation and creativity. For example, like many community-oriented cycling programs, Peace Peloton rides are no-drop, meaning no one gets left behind. But on one ride, Wilson recalls, he had to \u201crefresh\u201d this policy after one cyclist got a flat, and everyone stopped and waited. \u201cSo, we\u2019ve got 200 people on the side of the road, waiting for our sweeps to fix this tire, and I believe going forward this year, we don’t need to stop the whole 200,\u201d says Wilson. \u201cWe can have a group of people wait for them and then ride with them. So that too is no-drop. But I was just a staunch \u2018No<\/em>, if somebody gets a flat tire, we\u2019re all going to stop and wait\u2019 … There\u2019s a better way of doing it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Photo by Dan DeLong<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It was a learning experience, but one that reveals Wilson\u2019s openness to learning as he goes. \u201cHe\u2019s got a lot of energy and he\u2019s got some really interesting ideas and perspectives\u2014things he wants to develop and get done,\u201d says Durrant. \u201cHe pushes pretty hard to get on with those things and if something doesn\u2019t pan out \u2026 he moves on. He doesn\u2019t hold any grudges. He just figures out how to apply that really positive energy in a creative way to the next thing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wilson and Durrant both stand by the no-drop philosophy, in line with a ride atmosphere Kibet describes as welcoming and kid-friendly, with \u201cspaciousness just to be.\u201d As Wilson puts it: \u201cIf <\/mark>you get dropped, you’re going to feel like, \u2018Oh, I\u2019m not coming back here.\u2019\u201d Peace Peloton\u2019s entire model is about coming back, establishing relationships between cyclists and the cities where they live and building client bases and financial momentum behind Black-owned businesses. It shows what can happen when the energy of protest is transformed into broad-based, lasting change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur origins were protests,\u201d says Wilson, acknowledging that protests can bring awareness to an issue and create an energetic jumping-off point into sustained activism that can carry on across the country and into the future. “Peace Peloton is still here, and we’re still growing,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s something to be grateful for.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Editor\u2019s note: REI partners with Peace Peloton to provide financial sponsorship, in-kind benefits and support for events the organization host, among other efforts.<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhat are you grateful for today?\u201d   Reginald \u201cDoc\u201d Wilson, the founder of Seattle cycling nonprofit Peace Peloton, asks this question a lot. \u201cThat\u2019s how he starts every call,\u201d says Steven Durrant, who served as Peace Peloton\u2019s treasurer for its first year. Wilson might express gratitude for something silly or serious, says Durrant, but \u201cthat\u2019s always […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30740,"featured_media":178528,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,637],"tags":[25,727],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-178466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cycle","category-stewardship","tag-cycle","tag-latest-posts"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/peace-peloton-uplifting-black-businesses","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Peace Peloton: Uplifting\u00a0Black-Owned Businesses One Bike Ride at a Time\u00a0","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/peace-peloton-uplifting-black-businesses","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/peace-peloton-uplifting-black-businesses"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/15-Peace-Peloton-UP-Hero.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/15-Peace-Peloton-UP-Hero.jpg?fit=2000%2C999"},"articleSection":"Cycle","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ever Meister"}],"creator":["Ever Meister"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["cycle","latest posts"],"dateCreated":"2022-06-02T17:53:30Z","datePublished":"2022-06-02T17:53:30Z","dateModified":"2022-07-21T16:41:42Z"},"rendered":"