THE 1919 CHICAGO RACE RIOT ROUTE
Presented by PeopleForBikes Ride Spot, Newberry Library and The CRR1919 Commemoration Project to benefit Blackstone Bicycle Works.
We invite you to ride this historic route to remember an important event in Chicago history and help us raise funds to benefit Blackstone Bicycle Works.
Thanks to our generous sponsors, SRAM and ABUS, we have the opportunity to
raise $7500, but we can't do it without your help.
OUR GOAL IS TO INSPIRE 300 RIDERS TO COMPLETE THE ROUTE BEFORE OCTOBER 31, 2020.
EDIT: WE SUCCEEDED! THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
RIDE
Track & share your ride to help us
reach our goal of 300 riders.
Join the challenge on Ride Spot and complete the route using the app to automatically have your ride contribute toward our goal.
To get started, simply download the Ride Spot app on your device, register for an account and tap "Join" on the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Route challenge. When you're ready to ride, tap "Start Ride" and when you finish the route, tap "Save Ride."
Ride the route at your convenience, alone or at a safe social distance with friends. Feel free to share your ride on social media with the hashtag #crr1919ride.
To submit proof of your ride from another cycling platform, use the form below or email a link or screenshot to ridespot@peopleforbikes.org.
REMEMBER
Purchase a limited edition 1919 CRR Route
Guidebook or download the free audio tour.
As you ride along the route, hear the history behind each location narrated by speakers from the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project. Click here to download or stream the free audio tour.
We also encourage you to purchase a limited edition, handmade Route Guide, featuring a letterpress cover created by Chicago designer Sam Scipio as well as helpful information about each historical site.
Route Guides are available in limited numbers at Comrade Cycles, Heritage Bicycles, The Bike Lane and Newberry Library. They can also be purchased online and shipped to you by Mordecai Book Building.
100% of sales will go directly to Blackstone Bicycle Works and The CRR1919 Commemoration Public Art Project.
ABOUT THE ROUTE
The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 was the most violent in Illinois history but still remains widely unknown to many. To commemorate the centennial of the riots in 2019, Newberry Library and The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project created a bike route that took riders through the Bronzeville and Bridgeport neighborhoods, stopping at key historical sites relevant to the riot and the events that lead up to it. Newberry Library & CRR1919 partnered with Blackstone Bicycle Works to host a bike ride along the route where riders heard speakers share stories at each stop.
We invite you to purchase a limited edition 1919 CRR Route Guidebook or download the free audio tour to help learn more about each site along the route.
Historical sites on the route
Eugene Williams Marker
The "Vortex of Violence"
The Chicago Defender Building
Armour Square Park
Hamburg Athletic Club
Union Stockyards
Metcalfe Park
Chicago Bee/Chicago Public Library
Ida B. Wells historical Marker
Victory Monument.
Eugene Williams Marker
BLACKSTONE BICYCLE WORKS
Blackstone Bicycle Works is an educational youth program and community bike shop on Chicago’s South Side with a mission to provide educational and vocational opportunities to youth from some of Chicago's most underserved neighborhoods.
Their youth program uses bicycle advocacy, mechanics, cycling and business operations to create an inclusive community for BIPOC youth from Woodlawn and surrounding neighborhoods.
SUBMIT YOUR RIDE
When you've completed the route, use this form to submit a URL from your ride or email a screenshot to ridespot@peopleforbikes.org. If you recorded your ride on Ride Spot and received a "Challenge Complete" notification, you do not need to submit a link.
THANK YOU
We'd like to recognize the generous contributions and support from our collaborators and sponsors on this project.
Please give them a visit or follow them on social media.
A special thanks to our bike shop partners
CRR1919 Route badge design by Sam Scipio.