Today, Chipps wrote this:
It shouldn’t need saying, which is why it absolutely does: As the editor of a mountain bike magazine – a hobby dominated by white, middle class people – I wanted to state that there’s no room in our sport, magazine, or world, for racism. Everyone has to play their part.
Chipps Chippendale – Singletrack Editor
‘Playing your part’ is something we’ve been conscious of for some time, but as we sit here today, we know we’ve not done enough.
The representation of people of colour within the pages – paper and virtual – of Singletrack, is an issue we’re aware of. All too often, the only non-white skin in the images are those of the local people in the far flung lands that we feature.
We’re not going to add our words in place of absent voices, so instead we’re sharing these sources in the hope that they will reach a new audience. But we also want to find a way to fill the void. We are ashamed that among the many writers we have, we don’t feel like there’s even one we could ask to contribute to the conversation right now, or to ask their opinion on the right way forward.
We are part of the problem. If you’re reading this, we’d like your help to change that.
You don’t need to be a professional to write for Singletrack, you just need to be able to tell a great mountain biking tale that others will want to read.
Help us to share your stories and change Singletrack for the better.
Writers and photographers are invited to submit story ideas to editorial@singletrackworld.com
If you don’t want to write a whole story, tag us (@singletrackmag) in a picture of you out on your ride on Instagram stories and we will re-share posts to help diversify the feed of the bike media
Read more
- #outdoorsforall
- #diversifytheoutdoors
- BlPoC | It’s not just about cycling, it’s outdoors and adventure too.
- Alexandera Houchin Is Ultra Cycling’s Underdog—And She Has No Patience for Haters
- Now Is Not The Time To Post Your Adventure Photos
Recommended reading from the League of American Bicyclists:
- Stop Killing Us: A Real Life Nightmare / Tamika Butler
- Transformative Talks / Untokening & Pueblo Planning
- The Toxic Intersection of Racism and Public Space / Brentin Mock
- Silence is Agreement / Ayesha McGowan
- The Black Urbanist / Kristen Jeffers
- The Brown Bike Girl / Courtney Williams
- Attention Transportation Advocates: Race Is A Part Of The Work / Dara Baldwin
@kahl thank you for making those suggestions. Some of them we have tried and probably need to try again, some of them are ideas we will look at. We don’t think this story is going to answer the problem, we’re just trying to take steps in the right direction. Hopefully each step reveals new paths we can take, and more suggestions like yours that we can pursue.