Ahoy! Just a quick story which illustrates how bicycling is not just spokes and wheels, but liberation as well.
I was riding in the annual Moonlight Classic ride last summer. for a good portion of the ride I was riding with a young woman named Leah, who is also a triathlete. She had similar politics and was just one of those people who are just great souls all around. Anyway, she gets a flat, luckily right at a rest stop. She is ready to just walk her bike back, as she has not changed a tube. Ever? I still cant believe it! Anyway, I am all ready to be superhero patch tube guy, when we notice a van. COOL, local bike shop is there and gives us a tube. Local bike shop mechanic is there and he is the super alpha burly bald with goatee type, and says he will help in a minute. Do I look like I cant change a tube? Then, a Feminist (said so on her T shirt) from Derailer steps in and shows Leah how to change a tube. She is a much better instructor than I would have been, going step by step patiently, making sure Leah does the work. When she struggles, the alpha male mechanic tries to take over. In a loud and very authoritative voice the Feminist from derailer commands to let her fix it herself. She does, of course and has a happy ride back. Also, the Derailer volunteer gives me a bilingual flyer, which I give to an Immigrant I know, so he can go build a bike. RIGHT ON DERAILER! Art
Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2008 13:22:54 -0600 From: plan_9@riseup.net To: thethinktank@bikecollectives.org Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Volunteering time
Kyle, I will stand in solidarity with everything you just said. It's refreshing to hear someone frame the idea of white and class privilege in such an elegant but accessible way. Mainly I just wanted to voice my support because this is a tough discussion to have but an important one. To Bruce's comment about women and bike shops, I'd have to say that you are using a symptom of patriarchy (few women not in bike shops) to justify that outcome. For an analogy: if there was no bike rack or pole or anything to lock your bike up to outside of a new Thai restaurant, should the owner of the shop assume that you not eating there because it "you as a cyclist innately don't like Thai food" or because there is
barrier to entry, not having a place to put your ride? If he assumes it's because cyclists don't like Thai food, he'll never put a bike rack out front and you'll never eat there. Maybe that's a goofy analogy but maybe it's still relevant. We actually had this discussion with a couple of women that frequently patronize the shop when we asked them if they would be interested in a womens only night. Their response was pretty interesting. They said that it would be nice so that new women patrons could become comfortable in a new setting with other women but then once they felt confident in the basics they wouldn't have any problem going to regular shop hours because the wouldn't feel like they were relying on men volunteers for everything. I think that makes a lot of sense. As to the folks that get uncomfortable about this and feel they are being accused of "being a racist" this examination of privilege isn't about personal prejudice but rather about institutional racism, the systems that have permeated American society from it's inception. Wage and wealth inequities based on race, access to services based on race, gentrification, unfair employment practices, structures of the economy, allocation of democratic rights, these are all part of institutional racism that is at the core of white privilege. Really it's about admitting that it exists, owning it and trying to find ways to use it to a mutual benefit of everyone involved (organizing a community bike shop and empowering those communities without white male privilege) and that is light years more progressive and effective than than going on about how your not a racist and your oppressed too (not saying anyone here has done that but it's a common response from liberal folks). I think paying wage is a great way to enable marginalize peoples to participate in Com. Bike shops and I'm sure there are many more, we need to find those too! Keep the ideas coming! Andrew FM Community Bicycle Workshop _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...