Join a large-scale, 10-mile bike ride through the South Side neighborhoods where violence erupted during the summer of 1919, learning about events from that year as well as the transformations since then.
We will start near the only marker of the riots in the city—at 29th Street and the lakefront—and then move through Bronzeville, Bridgeport, the Stockyards, and back toward the lake. The tour will make eight stops, where tour and community leaders will explain the city's past.
Bike Marshals from Blackstone Bicycle Works will facilitate our ride, providing overall ride safety, “interference” at strategic intersections, and basic bike repairs (flat tires, chains, brakes).
Schedule
- 9:00 am: Check-in and bike safety checks begin.
- 9:30 am: Mini-lesson on bike handling, safety, and rules of the road. (Required for all riders age 12 to 17; optional for others.)
- 10:00 am – 1:00 pm: Let’s ride! See map here.
Need a bike?
Rent a Divvy bike from the city's bikeshare program. A Divvy "Explorer Pass" allows for 24-hour rental for $15. A Divvy station is located on 31st Street, near the 31st Street Beach House.
Rules
- Bike helmets are required for all riders.
- Riders must be age 12 or older.
- All riders must register and sign a liability waiver; 12- to 17-year-olds must have the waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
- All participants should be in the appropriate physical condition to bike 10 miles. The support van is for emergencies.
- Each bike should have at least one water bottle for hydration.
- Bicycles must be tuned up in advance and will be checked by bike marshals prior to the ride.
Chicago 1919: Confronting the Race Riots
Visit this page for a complete list of Chicago 1919 public programs.
This event is part of the Newberry's year-long initiative, Chicago 1919: Confronting the Race Riots. It has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor, and by generous support from Edith Rasmussen Ahern and Patrick Ahern. Our Youth Engagement Sponsor is Allstate.
Collaborative partners in Chicago 1919 include the Black Chicago History Forum, Black Metropolis Research Consortium, Blackstone Bicycle Works, Chicago Architectural Club, Chicago Collection Consortium, Chicago History Museum, Chicago Public Library, Chicago Urban League, City Bureau, Kartemquim Films, Middle Passage Production, and Young Chicago Authors.
Chicago 1919: Confronting the Race Riots received the 2020 Outstanding Public History Project Award from the National Council on Public History.
Tour Leaders
- Brad Hunt, Newberry Library
- Harold Lucas, President of the Black Metropolis Convention & Tourism Council
- Essence McDowell, author of Lifting As They Climbed: Mapping a History of Black Women on Chicago’s South Side
- Franklin Cosey-Gay, University of Chicago, Center for Youth Violence Prevention
- Pastor John L. Smith, Olivet Baptist Church
- Bernard Loyd, Jada-Amina Harvey, and Erica Ruggerio, The Forum / Build Bronzeville
- David Bates, Concordia University
- Henri Dumas and D.J. Fish, Blackstone Bicycle Works
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Past Public Programs
Check out video recordings of past Newberry public programs on our YouTube channel.