The Stories About Those Who Walk (And Bicycle) To Work

When we heard recently about a young black man stopped by police while riding a bike on his way home to Asbury Park from work many miles away,  this article resonated.  We’re being confronted by the reality that in places like Asbury Park, employment may be out of reach unless you have the means to own a car.  This young man being stopped while riding his bike and ultimately charged has brought us to a critical moment. We believed that Asbury Park was becoming a model as a community that works to bring people together and supports social justice.  We have work to do.

Stories About Marathon Walking (*Or bicycling*) Commuters Receiving Benevolent Donations of Cars Are Actually Terrible

These stories aren’t heartwarming. They highlight systemic, persistent injustice that goes unaddressed.

By Angie Schmitt 

 

The work ethic and determination of these men is stunning, but don’t paint their stories as triumphs of the American spirit. When we hear about desperate, exhausting commutes to jobs far away from home, we’re being confronted by the reality that in places like Birmingham and Detroit, employment is out of reach unless you have the means to own a car.

Dig into the story a little bit and there are other red flags. For example, Carr was picked up by police because he was walking (while black), and the officers took him out for breakfast when “his story checked out,” reports Carol Robinson at the Birmingham News. What appears as a friendly interaction in the article began as an instance of racial profiling, where Carr had to prove his worth as a human being.

Read about it:

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/07/18/stories-about-marathon-walking-commuters-receiving-benevolent-donations-of-cars-are-actually-terrible/

Or Listen:

https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/walking-work-stories-heartwarming-or-harmful

 

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