Black Leaders To Cycle From Tulsa To NYC In 1,645-Mile ‘Ride For Equity’

Black Leaders Detroit has announced the fifth annual Ride for Equity—an ambitious 1,645-mile cycling journey from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to New York City. The multi-state event pays tribute to the legacy of historic Black business districts and will also raise funds to support Black entrepreneurs, BridgeDetroit reports.

“We’re riding from Black Wall Street in honor of the legacy of Greenwood,” Dwan Dandridge, founder and CEO of Black Leaders Detroit, told BridgeDetroit. “And we’re going to Wall Street because it’s another place where Black people had a huge hand in creating the wealth… but also not being able to benefit from the wealth that the labor created.”

Honoring historic Black business districts

Detroit’s Paradise Valley and Black Bottom were once thriving, Black-led economic hubs until the 1960s, when construction of the I-375 freeway forced the displacement of tens of thousands of residents. In Tulsa, the Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street, met a more violent fate. In 1921, white mobs destroyed the thriving Black community, killing as many as 300 people and decimating over 1,200 homes and businesses.

This year’s Ride for Equity will retrace some of this history, starting on May 31 in Tulsa and traveling through Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania before concluding in New York City around July 4.

Wall Street, now a global financial hub, was once home to New York’s slave market. Financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase and New York Life are documented to have profited from slavery, using enslaved people as collateral and insuring them as property.

Supporting Black Entrepreneurs

According to its website, Black Leaders Detroit has distributied over $4.8 million to Black-owned businesses and organizations since its founding in 2019. Dandridge, a former construction business owner, launched the organization after facing numerous challenges in accessing capital. His long-term vision is to build a sustainable funding model through grassroots support: one million people contributing $1 per week.

The Ride for Equity began in 2021 as a way to raise awareness of the organization’s mission. While it was initially envisioned as a local event, the idea expanded after Dandridge’s 14-year-old son suggested a ride from Detroit to Mackinaw City. The ride also features “Speak for Yourself” events in each city along the route. These community gatherings aim to foster dialogue on race, equity, and unity.

Ride for Equity Detroit

This year’s ride represents a shift from Black Leaders Detroit’s traditional route from Detroit to Mackinaw City. However, a local leg of the event, Ride for Equity Detroit, will take place on May 17, with riders cycling from Newlab to Belle Isle.

A virtual option is also available, ensuring broader participation. All registration fees go toward supporting Black entrepreneurs in Detroit.

Image: Black Leaders Detroit