Translating Bike Joy into Bike Political Power, a Saturday morning tidbit
Bike Joy is great in its own right, but when you add in political organizing to it, you can win big
Happy Saturday Morning! I hope your weekend brings you lots of rest, rejuvenation, and joy. As you are out and about, here’s a quick framework about Bike Joy that you might find helpful:
Bike Joy is wonderful and abundant. It’s Bike Party. It’s children learning to ride a bike & enjoying the freedom of mobility & the great sensation of simply riding a bike. It’s zipping down the block to easily run a quick errand. It’s being out and about in community and connecting with each other vs. siloed in isolation. It’s emissions-free mobility and it’s a million more things too.
And it’s inspiring! Bike Joy inspires others to get on a bike and try it for themselves. Not everyone who tries riding experiences Bike Joy, and some give up riding—mainly because cars on dangerous roads make people not feel safe to bike in their community. But for a lot of people, getting on a bike a few times in a row is enough to get them to be part of the Bike Community.
The larger the Bike Community and the more visible it is, the more “Cultural Power” it builds. Cultural Power is a rich & complicated topic to dive into, but a short version is: Cultural Power is the power of belonging. When it comes to the spectrum of “To Be Eradicated <—> To Be Tolerated <—> To Be Celebrated”, Cultural Power is what shifts something towards celebration. It’s the difference between “Dandelion= weed” and “Dandelion= beautiful, medicinal flower”
But Cultural Power does not directly translate to Political Power. You can be liked and still not get what you want. Think: artists whose work you enjoy but whose political opinions don’t sway you. You can also be Politically Powerful and not Culturally Powerful. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is one of the most Politically Powerful people in the world, but he’s not exactly looked to as a fashion icon.
However, when politically organized and effectively engaged, then Cultural Power supercharges Political Power. That Political Power can be used to win desperately needed infrastructure changes which make biking safer & more enjoyable for a wider range of people. More people biking creates more Bike Joy and Cultural Power and when continuously politically organized you create a positive feedback loop!
There is much much MUCH more to say about strategies and tactics around politically organizing to translate the Cultural Power into Political Power, and on July 26th, you’re invited to the Open Discussion Zoom Happy Hour on that very topic! I’ll write more, and host more free group trainings to help folks take that step too. But in the meantime, I hope you have a great and joyous weekend!
Free upcoming online events!
7/19 @ 5:30pm PT— Transit & Bike Activism Training: how to win bigger by bridging the local and state-wide organizing gap. Learn more and register here.
7/26 @ 5:30pm PT— Join your fellow transportation advocates at the July Open Discussion Zoom Happy Hour! This month’s topic: "Translating Bike Joy into Bike Political Power." Come share your thoughts and learn from allies. Register here.
7/27 @ 5:30pm PT— Free Bike Activism Training: “A beginner's guide to getting a protected bike lane in your community.” Learn more and register here.
Interested in sponsoring the training of an activist working on an issue you’re passionate about? Let’s chat. Carter@carterlavin.com