Courtney Williams Is on a Mission to Get Black and Brown People to Bike

She fell in love with cycling, but was tired of never seeing anyone else who looked like her on two wheels. So she did something about it.

Photos by Daniel Krieger

Throughout May, National Bike Month, our People of Interest series is spotlighting New York cyclists who are breaking the mold and making a difference on two wheels.

“My community has a lot of problems that are institutionally heaped upon it that may never be resolved,” says Courtney Williams, a 32-year-old African-American woman who lives in Brooklyn. “But we still have a need to take care of ourselves, and I know this sounds really hippy-dippy, but bicycles are these magic machines that can kind of cure all.”

Williams, who works in business planning and development counseling, is on a quest to bring the joy of those magic machines to more people in communities of color. “I just want people to experience the joy that I feel when I'm on a bicycle,” she says. “I don’t want people missing out.”

Cycling is so woven into Williams’ life that it takes three bikes to accommodate her needs: one for long-distance rides; a twelve-speed for locking up on errands and short tr…