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Making a Difference: The Bicycle Kitchen has Education on the Menu

WAVE NEWSPAPERS — The Bicycle Kitchen is a nonprofit bicycle repair educational organization staffed by a group of volunteers or “cooks” who run a space in Los Angeles filled with all the necessities for working on bicycles. The mission of the organization is to promote the bicycle as a fun, safe, and accessible form of transportation, to foster healthy urban communities, to enable self-reliance through knowledge of bicycle maintenance and to provide a welcoming space to learn about building, maintaining, and riding bicycles.

Published

6 years ago

October 21, 2019

Oakland Post

Image by: bicyclekitchen.com

By Darlene Donloe

Every kid dreams of his ir her first bicycle. From learning to ride a bike with training wheels, to advancing to a two-wheeler, it’s a milestone that has become a childhood rite of passage.

It’s an enormous sense of freedom to get around on your own power as you ride down the street with the wind in your hair.

Then, suddenly, disaster strikes. You have a flat tire, the gears strip or the chain comes off. Someone taught you how to ride the bike, but no one mentioned how to repair it. What to do?

Take it to the Bicycle Kitchen and let one of the “cooks” show you all the recipes of bicycle repair.

The Bicycle Kitchen is a nonprofit bicycle repair educational organization staffed by a group of volunteers or “cooks” who run a space in Los Angeles filled with all the necessities for working on bicycles.

The mission of the organization is to promote the bicycle as a fun, safe, and accessible form of transportation, to foster healthy urban communities, to enable self-reliance through knowledge of bicycle maintenance and to provide a welcoming space to learn about building, maintaining, and riding bicycles.

The Bicycle Kitchen is not a bike store, but rather a place where the community can come and learn about bikes, fix their bikes and even build a bike from scratch at a nominal cost.

Whatever is wrong with a bike can be fixed in the kitchen. The most common repairs are flat tires and brake or gear repairs. Whatever you need to know about a bike can be learned in the kitchen.

Siobhan Dolan has been a volunteer “cook” for eight years.

Ironically, she didn’t learn to ride a bike until she was 30.

“I just wasn’t encouraged,” Dolan said. “My family focused on school and getting ahead. They said, ‘don’t worry about being physical,’ so I didn’t.”

When she finally learned to ride a bike, Dolan said she loved it but was desperate to find resources to learn about biking and specifically information on her bike. She also wanted to find other people to connect with.

“I took a class at the Bicycle Kitchen,” said Dolan, who works at a law firm. “I fell in love with the vibe and the purpose. I’ve been here ever since. We call ourselves cooks. Everyone needs a cook in the kitchen.”

Bicycle Kitchen survives on grant money, plus the money received from doing community events and selling T-shirts. Some money comes from the visitors, who are charged a suggested donation of $8 per hour to work on their bikes in the facility. Although it costs $8 per hour, according to Dolan, no one is turned away for lack of funds.

“It’s very simple here,” said Dolan, who has three bikes, as does her husband. “If you don’t have the $8, pay what you can. If you don’t have money, volunteer to help out or clean up or help someone else. Share your knowledge.”

There are also $35 workshops available that teach basic maintenance.

“We have those on occasion,” Dolan said. “We try to run basic maintenance workshops to give an overall view on the basics like tires, brakes, and gears. We encourage people to bring their own bikes to learn what works on their bikes.”

Dolan said working on a bike with other like-minded enthusiasts is a great way to connect with people.

“There is a huge sub-culture,” she said. “There are a great many bike enthusiasts out there who just love to ride. If you love biking and want to get involved — drop by.”

The Bicycle Kitchen was literally started in a kitchen in 2002. It was in an area of Los Angles called Eco-Village.

“It was a converted kitchen in a housing co-op in lower East Hollywood,” Dolan said. “It started off as a place where bike messengers would come together to work on their bikes and to just be together. From there it grew. It became a place of education and a space for women and people of color who didn’t have connections.”

No longer located in a converted kitchen but rather in a facility in Hollywood, the Bicycle Kitchen, which can sometimes average about 15 visitors on a busy weeknight has various open hours so that anyone can stop by and either tackle an issue on their own (“do it yourself”) or “do it together” with a “cook.”

“We’re about teaching people to help themselves,” said Dolan, who has a tattoo of a bike chain on her arm in the shape of a heart. “If you learn more about your bike you’re more inclined to keep biking. You feel empowered to tackle things on your own. This is an education space more than a bike repair space.”

If someone doesn’t have a bike, but would like to build one from scratch, Bicycle Kitchen has something called a Project Bike, which gives an individual 30 days for completion.

“If someone doesn’t have a bike at all, they can put one together,” said Dolan, who is a married mother of one. “They can use some or all of our used parts. They can even sort through and find a bike that has been donated. It could be in various states of repair. Find what you’re looking for. It will live at BK until you work on it and it’s complete.”

Dolan said a price is decided at the beginning based on the parts a person is working with. At the end, they can pay the agreed-upon price or they can volunteer.

“We work with what people bring us and with what they can pay,” she said.

In the bicycle world, Dolan said working on a bike is called “wrenching.” Old, junky bikes are referred to as “Beater Bikes.” When a bike is built by grabbing various parts in the kitchen, it’s referred to as a “Franken Bike” – as in Frankenstein bike.

“This is a huge sub-culture,” Dolan said. “It’s all about education, fun and the freedom to ride.”

According to Dolan, no one actually owns the Bicycle Kitchen.

“We don’t have any owners or managers here,” she said. “We’re only volunteer-run. There are no paid positions. We only move forward when everyone is together. This is a unique company structure. It feels very empowering.”

INFORMATION BOX

Organization Name: The Bicycle Kitchen

Leader: Volunteers

Website: bicyclekitchen.com

Support for the Bicycle Kitchen is provided by the Metabolic Studio, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation led by artist and Foundation Director Lauren Bon.

“Making a Difference” is a weekly feature profiling organizations that are serving their communities. To propose a “Making A Difference” profile, send an email to newsroom@wavepublication.com

The article first appeared in The Los Angeles Sentinel

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Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

Published

1 week ago

May 30, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

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Hoover’s Commutation Divides Chicago as State Sentence Remains

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial.

Published

1 week ago

May 29, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The federal sentence for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover has been commuted, but he remains incarcerated under a 200-year state sentence in Illinois. The decision by Donald Trump to reduce Hoover’s federal time has reignited longstanding debates over his legacy and whether rehabilitation or continued punishment is warranted. The commutation drew immediate public attention after music executive Jay Prince and artist Chance the Rapper publicly praised Trump’s decision. “I’m glad that Larry Hoover is home,” said Chance the Rapper. “He was a political prisoner set up by the federal government. He created Chicago Votes, mobilized our people, and was targeted for that.”

But Hoover, the founder of the Gangster Disciples, is not home—not yet. Now in federal custody at the Florence Supermax in Colorado, Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial. “There is a divide in the Black community here,” said Chicago journalist Jason Palmer during an appearance on the Let It Be Known morning program. “Some view Hoover as someone who brought structure and leadership. Others remember the violence that came with his organization.” Palmer explained that while Hoover’s gang originally formed for protection, it grew into a criminal network responsible for extensive harm in Chicago. He also noted that Hoover continued to run his organization from state prison using coded messages passed through visitors, prompting his transfer to federal custody.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is widely considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, has not issued a statement. Palmer suggested that silence is strategic. “Releasing Hoover would create enormous political consequences,” Palmer said. “The governor’s in a difficult spot—he either resists pressure from supporters or risks national backlash if he acts.” According to Palmer, Hoover’s federal commutation does not make him a free man. “The federal sentence may be commuted, but he still has a 200-year state sentence,” he said. “And Illinois officials have already made it clear they don’t want to house him in state facilities again. They prefer he remains in federal custody, just somewhere outside of Colorado.”

Palmer also raised concerns about what Hoover’s case could signal for others. “When R. Kelly was convicted federally, state prosecutors in Illinois and Minnesota dropped their charges. If a president can commute federal sentences based on public pressure or celebrity support, others like R. Kelly or Sean Combs could be next,” Palmer said. “Meanwhile, there are thousands of incarcerated people without fame or access to public platforms who will never get that consideration.” “There are people who are not here today because of the violence connected to these organizations,” Palmer said. “That has to be part of this conversation.”

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

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WATCH: Five Years After George Floyd: Full Panel Discussion | Tracey’s Keepin’ It Real | Live Podcast Event

Join us as we return to the city where it happened and speak with a voice from the heart of the community – Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

Published

1 week ago

May 28, 2025

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=OsNLWTz6jU0&feature=oembed

May 25, 2020. The world stopped and watched as a life was taken.

But what has happened since?

Join us as we return to the city where it happened and speak with a voice from the heart of the community – Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

She shares reflections, insights, and the story of a community forever changed. What has a year truly meant, and where do we go from here?

This is more than just a date; it’s a moment in history. See what one leader in the Black press has to say about it.

Recorded live at UROC in Minneapolis, this powerful discussion features:

Panelists: