Philadelphia therapist builds sisterhood and self-care on two wheels with Black Girl Joy Bike Ride
Every week
By Wakisha Bailey
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PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Every week, a growing group of Black women gathers in Philadelphia for something simple yet life-changing – a bike ride that’s all about joy, community, and putting themselves first.
It’s called Black Girl Joy Bike Ride, a weekly outing created in 2023 by therapist Iresha Picot. She said Black women are often taught to care for everyone else before themselves, and it’s costing lives.
“As Black women, we’ve been conditioned to put everybody else’s needs before our own. A lot of us are dying from stress-related diseases, from preventable diseases,” Picot said.
So she decided to take back an hour, or more, each week with a guided four to five-mile ride through the city.
For those without a bike, Indego Bikes and Philly Bikes help make it happen. Frequent riders have even received gifted bikes to keep them rolling.
With hand signals learned, balance tested, and a few laughs, we rode through West Philly together.
“This is something bigger than I ever dreamed about,” Picot said.
“Just to be able to be around Black and Brown women where we’re having self-care for each other,” one of the riders said.
Friendships are built on these rides. For many, it’s a chance to see the city in a new light and reclaim peace.
“We hear so much bad things about our city, but riding makes it beautiful,” another rider said.
For Picot, it’s more than cycling — it’s a calling.
“It’s like my mission is complete. I just want to bring Black women together and do it in the name of like joy and community.”
Black Girl Joy Bike Ride isn’t just a movement. It’s a community. It’s family. And it’s spreading the love, one mile at a time.
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