bmachado25

Hi there!

My name is Brandy and I am a fellow touring cyclist.

I am currently working on documentary on the experiences of women who have done solo cycle tours. I am having trouble finding women of color who have done these sorts of trips and who I am able to interview. It is really important to me that I am including a broad range of experiences within this documentary and not just those of the mainly white women that I have spoken with so far.

I am based in Portland, but I am willing to travel reasonably far throughout the PNW area in order to conduct interviews. If you are a woman of color who has done any solo tours or if you know of any women of color who have, please get in touch with me. My email is brandymachado@gmail.com.

I am hoping to wrap this project up by December 15th, so I am sort of running out of time.

Thanks,
Brandy

Machka 

What color did you have in mind?

bmachado25

Not sure if you are trolling me, but on the chance you aren't, I am basically looking for women who are not white/caucasian.

Aubergine 

You could contact the Cascad Bicycle Club in Seattle. Cascade puts a lot of effort into getting kids of color into bikes through its Major Taylor project. Major Taylor Project | Cascade Bicycle Club The folks there may be able to point you to women who tour.

Machka 

What difference does it make? Isn't a woman a woman ... does it really matter what shade her hair? eyes? skin? are? We're all a colour ... no one is "white". Personally, I'm a sort of light golden brown right now, as I'm starting to tan in the summer sun.

mrveloman

You might try emailing Jasmine Wilbarry who has a recent journal on Crazyguyonabike.com - https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/..._id=15735&v=Mw

Though she is currently in Baltimore you might be able to interview her remotely.

mike

mstateglfr 

Who knows what the OP's reason(s) is for wanting multiple races included in the documentary.
Perhaps to add an element of minority among the minority? Perhaps to fulfill some sort of requirement for funding? Perhaps to appeal to a broader audience or to appeal to a predetermined target audience?
Perhaps none of those.

As for the absurd 'i don't see color argument because we are all of color', well that's just being contrarian.
You have traveled the world, you must have come to realize there are clear socioeconomic divisions in life based on color. It isn't everywhere, thankfully, but it's very present. And when it's not based on color, it's based on another arbitrary difference.
Unless Tasmania has a census bubble choice for 'golden brown', let me be the first to declare that you are white.

alan s 

You might have better luck finding women with colorful stories, rather than "of color." I find the phrase "women of color" a little offensive.

shelbyfv

You can read the wiki about the term "people of color." There is an explanation as to why it is the currently preferred term.

Machka 

Australia doesn't have a census bubble choice for anything to do with colour. Why on earth would it?? What ... is there some sort of colour graph your census has you compare yourself to?

But don't you find the phrase "women of colour" an odd one? What does it mean? We're all some colour or another.



BTW - according to the Australian census, I am not a colour, I am Canadian.

Machka 

The preferred term for what?

brianmcg123

Preferred by who?

mstateglfr 

Ah, Australia apparently seeks info on ethnic origin.
Canada's household survey asks about race.

I don't find the phrase 'women of color'(or colour') to be odd because I am used to it and understand what it is referring to.
Of course, you also know what it's referring to, but are approaching this from a contrarian view that racial and skin color is of no bearing in life. Again that is simply not true as skin color affects many parts of life in the US, in Australia, and all knew the world.
It's a shame that an innate physical characteristic such as one's skin color affects how people are treated, bit it's reality and it's better to acknowledge the reality rather than coyly pretend it doesn't exist.

Many(most?) people of color acknowledge the existence of color, so why wouldn't/shouldn't/can't those of white European ancestry?

shelbyfv

Just read the link.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_color It actually is interesting, even if you don't agree with the usage. I thought the term sounded kind of old fashioned, sort of like "women of a certain age." I Googled it, found it interesting. I have no dog in the fight, as they say. I just call everyone "y'all."

saddlesores

i find the use of "y'all" offensive, especially when used by politicians
not "of south." the preferred term is "you people", so please don't
invade my safe space with your microagressions!

FBinNY 

It's about "inclusion" (please note my use of quotes).

There's a social/political aspect to many of these projects, so the producers feel they must be inclusive, lest they be accused of not being so.

For my part, I grew up writing "human" in the race box on all forms where it appears (I've never been called on that), though when in my twenties, I would be called for writing "yes" or "seasonally". I also never got away with writing "not often enough" where they asked for sex.

I don't speak for the OP, and am not a believer in the need to be inclusive, but understand why she might feel the need. (if you weren't Canadian and/or Australian you'd understand too.

Dave Cutter

+1 And I am an American! We like our northern cousins (mostly because they make good actors and singers). And... I like the idea of a cycling documentary too. I am sure the OP's ideas for body-type content are creative (and therefore over my head).

bwgride

The term "you people" is considered offensive and divisive in US politics. Historical note, see reference to "you people" and Ross Perot.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/you_people

Machka 

We all know that "white reflects light and is a presence of all colours" ... therefore if you're looking for a person "of colour", you must be looking for someone who is somehow completely white.


Talk to me right at the end of winter. That's about my lightest time of year.

mdilthey

I am glad your life experience has been one so devoid of any sort of racial bias that this concept seems laughably foreign to you. However, in the context of what the OP is asking, your comments aren't sensitive.

In the United States, being any color other than white automatically places you under a glaring amount of discrimination, including but not limited to a silent discouragement from many activities including bike touring. At the worst end, people of color can experience violence, racism, hatred, and marginalization. This is not a U.S. issue- the UK struggles, Australia struggles, indeed, the whole world has some form of racism present in almost every facet of life.

You are white. I am white. We simply cannot ever understand what it is to be a person of color. We are speaking from a seat of priveledge that goes back thousands of years, and is omnipresent at every level of society. Do not assume you understand the solution to racism because Australia doesn't have that bubble on your tax form.



I applaud any inclusion of minority voices in activities that have a culture barrier. Bike touring is absolutely one of those activities. Bike tourists are predominantly white in the U.S, and the world can be pretty cold to a woman of color. Any opportunity to highlight and share these experiences is a worthy cause that makes comments like "What color did you have in mind?" look worse than trolling- in this context, it borders on vitriol and I am sure this is not what you intended with your sarcasm.

I hope no women who have been marginalized due to race see your comments as their first experience of our group.

mdilthey

To the OP: Please get in touch with me when you finish your video. I've spoken about inclusion in cycling on my site before (Empowering Women in Cycling) and would love to feature your video, or get the word out if it's published elsewhere (like your own site). Thank you for doing what you are doing, and I'm sorry that this question is so hard to answer. I know many touring gals, but I don't know anybody who isn't white.

Machka 

Yes, me too ... on the rare occasions where I've actually encountered something asking about race. After all, we are all humans ...

Trevtassie

Obviously never sees the box that says "Are you of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Origin"....

saddlesores

i've never seen "human" as an option. rarely see a write-in blank under race, otherwise
i could enter "nascar." so i'm stuck picking one of the pre-approved race options.

if offered, i check "native-american" cause i was bornded here.

B. Carfree

When given a check-box for race, I always check the "African-American" box, since I'm a US citizen and, as near as current science can determine, the original humans evolved in Africa. Why quibble over the route?