Juneteenth celebration mixes history with health and wellness

Biketeenth will host its third annual event designed to commemorate the Juneteenth holiday in a healthy way.

Co-founder Cassie Smith-Johnson said the idea for the initial bike ride came up in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It went so well and we had already come up with a name as well that year. So we just kind of kept it going,” Smith-Johnson said, “and it does fit within our health and wellness idea. There's a lot of health disparities within the African American community, so this is just a great way to kind of combat that.”

Cassie-Johnson said the event is open to the community.

“Pretty much everyone is invited. It's a family friendly ride. It's not a race, I always emphasize that it's not a race, so if you're like an avid rider, and you're coming out for speed, it's probably not for you. It's a very casual ride; children are welcome; we'll have a police escort. It's about seven and a half miles,” Smith-Johnson said.

The bicycle ride begins at 11 a.m. Sunday on Monument Circle. Bicyclists can leisurely ride past downtown historic sites. The three hour tour will end at the Madame Walker Legacy Center.
Registration is available at biketeenthindy.com.

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. It commemorates June 19, 1865, the day slaves in Texas were freed ending slavery in the United States two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.