Bikes Not Bombs is at the intersection of so many things that matter. The idea that somehow, they managed to weave a common thread through the ongoing fight for racial equity, the increasing need for bicycles in our transportation systems as both equitable and sustainable, all coupled with a spirit of "reduce, reuse" anchored by community cooperation; it's really a stroke of genius.

I didn't learn of the existence of bicycle co-ops until I was halfway through college. Until then, I figured that when your bike broke down, you either bought it to the experts or you threw it out and bought a new one. It didn't occur to me that my community might be the expert, and that the community might help me be an expert. I didn't think of what happened to the bikes that were thrown out. It didn't occur to me that this system only serves the people who can afford to throw money at the problem. But BNB thought of these things, and BNB works to create this community.

I talk about BNB's personal impact to me through the lens of a bike co-op, but that pales in comparison to their global impact. Their roots are actually international in nature. They're not just redistributing bikes across Boston to lower the number of masshole drivers, but redistributing bikes around the world to truly create a more equitable planet. Really, they're thinking and acting locally and globally.

When you learn about a program with this much potential and this much impact, you want to do everything you can to support it. So I'm going to ride 50 miles to raise awareness and to raise money. Please help me do both of those things! Please give what you can, and tell who you can! Alone, progress is close to impossible, but together it's inevitable.