Dear LACBC fam,
Happy February! This is one of my favorite times of year when we’re finally settled into the year and getting used to writing ‘17 instead of ‘16. Love is in the air. And it’s Black History Month (if you’re my friend on Facebook, you know it’s one of my favorite times of year to share and educate).
Growing up, Black History Month was always a time where my family talked about justice and speaking up for what’s right. As we’ve seen the national political landscape changing this month, we’ve tried to stay committed to speaking up and doing what’s right here in L.A.
As many of you know, I’ve worked hard to center racial justice and social justice in much of the work we do. This past month, we’ve continued to do that as we’ve critiqued L.A.’s Vision Zero Action Plan and opposed Measure S in the March 7th election. And we’re still having conversations about biking and walking while black, like we did in this recent #MoveEquity Tweetchat.
We’ve also supported other transportation advocates in other cities who are taking bold steps in making sure that all people feel safe when being mobile in their communities. Last week I gave a talk to the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency (SFMTA) called Mobilize and Organize: Privilege, Mobility, & Power. In this talk I discussed how important it is for all of us to show up and be visible as we fight for the things that matter to us the most. It’s also important that after showing up, we figure out ways to understand our privilege and organize to make change. To see an example of this, check out the bay to see what BART is proposing. Imagine knowing that when you’re getting to work or going home to see your kids, you’d know that you have sanctuary in transit. This is a powerful message to all users of the transit system that they are welcome.
As we grow at LACBC, we’re going to keep organizing. Starting next month, we look forward to introducing you to our new Organizing Director. We’re going to keep pushing for what’s right, and we hope you’ll join us.
Ride on,
Tamika Butler
LACBC Executive Director
tamika@la-bike.org