Velo-city 2018 article series featuring mini interviews on plenary speakers continue with Olatunji Oboi Reed, plenary speaker for the opening plenary: City for All!

Olatunji Oboi Reed serves as the President & CEO of Equiticity, a national, racial equity movement, programming and advocating for racial equity, increased mobility and racial justice to improve the lives of Black, Brown and Indigenous people of color (BBIPOC) across the United States. Equiticity’s vision is a mid- to large-sized U.S. city where racial equity is fully integrated at the policy and legislative levels into every function, department and resource associated with the city’s operations, services and programs.

A quick chat with Olatunji Oboi Reed:

• What does Access to Life mean to you?

Access to Life means that people in our society who are the most impoverished, the most disenfranchised and the most marginalized all have equitable access to the most resources in order to improve their lives and their outcomes, ensuring they have full, unfettered access to a joyous life and all of the beauty and prosperity this world has to offer.

• What cycling lessons are you bringing to Rio?

 I am bringing to Rio the lessons around our work with Equiticity and Slow Roll Chicago, focused on racial equity, transportation equity and bicycle equity, as well as the benefits of mobility, authentic community engagement and community bicycle rides as vehicles for social justice.

• What are you looking forward to the most at Velo-city 2018?

At Velo-city 2018, I most look forward to learning from people and organizations around the world, doing important, impactful work to use bicycles and the activity of cycling to reduce violence, improve health, create jobs and ultimately make Black, Brown and Indigenous communities more liveable.  

• What do you think is the added value of a global interdisciplinary approach to cycling?

The added value of a global interdisciplinary approach to cycling is the "lifting up" of Ciclovia, the South American model of cycling, expressly focused on using bikes to have a positive impact on the socio-economic conditions experienced by Black, Brown and Indigenous people in our society, helping more cities around the world adopt this important model for cycling at the local level.

• What will you visit by bike in Rio?

I will love to ride my bike to Barra da Tijuca and visit Prainha beach. I will also love to ride my bike to see a performance by the Grupo Cultural AfroReggae. And, I will love to go mountain biking in Rio.

The Opening Plenary City for All is scheduled for Day 1 of Velo-city 2018; Tuesday 12^th June 2018 at 09.00-10.00.

More on the Velo-city 2018 Programme here.

Registrations are now open! Register now here.

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