Brooklyn Juneteenth History Bicycle Ride

Queen City EZ Riders Slow Biking Gang is leading an event, the Brooklyn Juneteenth History Bicycle Ride, on Friday, June 19th, 2020, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The ride starts at Marshall Park, 800 3rd Street, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. statue. Then it will explore Brooklyn, Charlotte’s oldest Black neighborhood. 

Here’s some information about Brooklyn, and about the ride, from the organizers:

The Brooklyn community lay in what is now Second Ward, an area of Charlotte that was geographically lower than the other four wards, and for sewage and sanitation purposes, made living there hazardous. An 1892 Charlotte Townships map identified the area as “Logtown.”

After emancipation, the area drew recently emancipated slaves. The community’s black population continued to grow throughout the nineteenth-century and was “solidly black except for Trade, Tryon, College, and parts of Fourth Street,” when the first racially patterned map of Charlotte was drawn in 1917.

At the same time, Logtown gave way to Brooklyn; a name that would become synonymous with the black community until urban renewal.

Meet at the Martin Luther King, Jr. statue in Marshall Park near the corner of 3rd and McDowell Streets in Uptown Charlotte at 6:30 pm.

Song, offering to the ancestors, and an overview of the Brooklyn Neighborhood will begin at 7:00 pm.

The group will roll out afterward to various sites throughout where the neighborhood once stood. The ride will end at approximately 9:00 pm.

This bicycle ride is for all skill levels. The group will stop at numerous sites along the route, which will cross major streets in Uptown Charlotte.

Children are welcome to attend as long as they can cycle in a straight line and comfortable crossing major city streets.

Please be sure to wear bright-colored clothing and have head/tail lights on for best visibility. All children in attendance under 18 years of age must wear a helmet in accordance with N.C. law and all adults are encouraged to do the same for their personal safety.

Please bring all items you will need for your personal comfort including a beverage, sunglasses, and cell phone.

Be sure to conduct an A.B.C. check before attending the ride. This includes: Air in your tires, Brakes ability to stop, and Chain is lubricated and operable.

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Juneteenth events in the Triangle

Read about other Juneteenth events throughout the Charlotte area, or click on the links below.