August 3, 2022. St. Petersburg Black History Bike Tour is launching a second season in September with their four hour FREE immersive experience partnered with Chief’s Creole Cafe. The tour takes participants to the actual locations where history began for St. Petersburg’s African American community and progresses to our current time. Led by historian Josette Green, the history reveals an understanding of the systemic racism today. The tour is followed by lunch at Chief’s Creole Cafe and a talk by Mr. Elihu Brayboy and his experiences. Some call the overall experience “eye-opening” and others say “life-changing.”
While a docent at the Holocaust Museum’s civil rights exhibit, Josette saw the powerful impact of teaching this important history and was impassioned to continue. She’s created a professional tour as a volunteer offering this gift to the community for free.
New enhancements are coming for this fall:
Can’t bike? Don’t let that stop you. Thanks to a partnership with a new local business, electric carts that meet the tour criteria can be rented and delivered to the tour starting location at a reasonable price. The cart seats two people.
Come early and have coffee at the Urban Drinkery across the street from the starting location. It’s a new business and offers relaxation before the peddling begins.
Experience has shown that children 13 and older are the best youth ages for the tour based on age appropriate content and biking safety.
Here’s what participants say:
I so much appreciate your generosity in unflinchingly sharing SP’s history with 350?! tour participants. Each of us will be not only a “history expert” but a much better informed voter and a more courageous ally for African Americans and POC. Your hard work, persistence, expertise and engaging presentation are a gift to the community.
I don’t seem to have enough words to describe how much it meant to take this tour. It was eye-opening on so many levels and I can’t believe that I grew up while this was going on. Some of it is still settling on my brain.
What I heard and experienced today was life changing. I’m still stunned that I didn’t know.
Scheduled tour dates for 2022 are Sept. 10 and 24, Oct. 8 and 22, Nov. 5 and 19 and December 3 and 17. Tours begin at 9:00 am at Chief’s Creole Cafe at 901 22nd St. S. In St. Petersburg. Reservations are required by emailing Josette at BlackHistoryBT@gmail.com. Participants provide their own bikes and helmets are required. 2023 dates will be announced later in the fall. The tour season is Sept – May. Visit our Facebook page for more details.
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