A Narrative by James Pierre, Founder
Why Soul on Wheels?
Soul on Wheels started as a simple thought: What would a group of well dressed Black men riding bikes through the city of Boston look like? I remember it came to me when walking out of the Museum of Fine Arts with a group of friends. We were talking and among other things a conversation about spaces came up, particularly, how they are used and how we felt in them. As the conversations went on, I was looking at the Bluebike station at the corner and got the idea of organizing a group ride. I wanted to challenge the narrative and use the ride as a platform to address a few disparities in our community in the process. Cambridge and some of Boston in the past few years has become one of the leaders in biking friendly infrastructure but Black and people of color are not visible in the bike lanes.
Along with the more serious points like health and access, I decided to take on Boston's reputation for lack of style. I decided the dress code for the rides would be flashy but comfortable. Once I had a plan and the details were set, I partnered with Bluebike and the City of Cambridge and started recruitment. To my surprise I found more than a few gentlemen eager to join the ride. The event was a success and inspired me to curate a few other rides/ events. Soul on Wheels is still very young and growing with each event. I see a lot of potential in it.