Here’s a recent example: I first heard historian Gretchen Sorin talk about her book Driving While Black in an interview on the War on Cars podcast last summer. I welcome feedback on this post in the comments below, as there is always more to learn. Ignorance is bliss until it’s not: I was able to live 35+ years before beginning to learn how filtered my experience of living in America as a white person was, and it’s why I’m trying to be a sponge now. It’s not a word to stay away from, but to confront, and even embrace, in order to acknowledge and start to heal the gruesome disparities between the white and Black experience in America. Since then, I’ve changed my relationship with the word “racist”. (Read more: Bike Lanes are White Lanes by Melody Hoffmann, or listen to this podcast episode with her.) “How can a bike lane be racist?” I wondered, getting upset that my beloved bike lanes could be connected to a term that I diligently avoided. I admit that when I first heard someone describe America’s urban planning as racist, maybe five years ago, I was confused about what that meant. Revealing the Racist History of Urban Planning and Transportation Infrastructure I’ve written a few blog posts about my excitement on the future of cities embracing sustainable transportation, like here and here in this blog post, I want to recognize the racist history of urban planning and share some resources that will hopefully help us from repeating the horrific failures of the past. Why should we assume that e-bikes would be any different? But the stories in this documentary reminded me how new modes of transportation, like the car, do not translate to equal mobility and freedom to all people. The documentary Driving While Black opens with author Gretchen Sorin saying, “Mobility is essential to freedom.” I started Po Campo to help people experience the freedom of biking every day, so obviously this statement resonates with me.
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