MILWAUKEE — In 2020, Milwaukee County received one of the lowest health rankings at 71 of 72 counties, with white people outliving their Black counterparts by nearly 14 years.
One group of cyclists is combatting those disparities and promoting health by hitting the road.
Red Bike and Green is a community-building collective of Black urban cyclists that focuses on three main pillars. Those include improving the physical and mental health, the economy, and the local environment of African Americans by creating a sustainable Black bike culture.
Ammar Nsoroma is the chair of Red Bike and Green Milwaukee. He took this national initiative and started it in Milwaukee in 2014. His goal has been to get more African Americans in the area involved in cycling.
He said there is a stigma about riding a bike among the African American community.
“Unless they see you all decked out in your gear and a real expensive bike, people kind of tend to think you can’t afford a car or you’re homeless,” said Nsoroma.
He said it’s his goal to promote cycling to the community as something that’s healthy and socially empowering.
He’s been biking for 15 years. It’s how he gets around town. He said the three pillars are what motivate him to ride.
“Those are reasons also why I chose to ride a bike and not drive,” he said.
Steven Hunter is a rider with the group. He said being a part of the group has shown him how so many community members are benefitting from it.
“I thought it was important for more African Americans to be comfortable and used to riding bikes because there’s so many benefits,” said Hunter.
Nsoroma said there are many health benefits of riding.
“You’re counteracting the Black health disparities like diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and obesity,” he said.
Each week, Red Bike and Green will meet at Taste of Lindsay Heights for weekly rides. It’s called the Tasty Roll and goes from June 1 to Sept. 28. The group will participate in Thursday evening casual rides through surrounding neighborhoods.
You can learn more about the weekly biking schedule, here.