March 21, 2023 .. Black Cyclists continued

Born in Boston, Katherine T. “Kittie” Knox (1874-1900) worked as a seamstress but discovered a passion for bicycling. She was a talented bike rider and a member of Boston’s Riverside Cycling Club, one of the country’s first Black cycling groups. She challenged the idea that bicycling was an activity meant for men and often finished ahead of her male competition in bicycle races. Knox insisted on riding her bicycle in baggy trousers instead of the long skirts that women were expected to wear at the time. She joined the overwhelmingly male-dominated League of American Wheelmen (LAW), the predecessor to today’s League of American Bicyclists (LAB).

In 1894, LAW banned Black people from belonging to the organization. Knox challenged this head-on. She showed up at LAW’s annual meeting in 1895 to present a certificate confirming that she had joined prior to the group’s “white only” membership policy. Several LAW members came to Knox’s defense, but many others expressed strong objections to her attendance and she was kicked out of the meeting. This sparked debate between LAW members who wanted to uphold racial segregation and those who felt that racial segregation was wrong. Kittie Knox was eventually accepted by LAW, making her the first Black person to be recognized as a member of the organization.

Kittie Knox helped to desegregate the bicycling world. She is celebrated around the United States as a champion of racial and gender equality in bicycling. Her grave at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, MA is now part of the African American Heritage Trail. In 2013, the City of Cambridge issued a Kittie Knox proclamation to celebrate her life and later named the Kittie Knox Bike Path after her. The League of American Bicyclists recently presented its first annual Katherine T. “Kittie” Knox Award, which recognizes a champion of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Ayesha McGowan, the nation’s first Black woman pro-racer, won the Kittie Knox award for her competitive example, her accomplishments, and her voice pushing for more inclusion in bicycling.

~

Meet Ayesha McGowan, the U.S.’s First Black Pro Woman Cyclist

Name: Ayesha McGowan

Age: 34

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Team: LIV Cycling

Biggest Accomplishment: Seventh place finisher in stage six of the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche.

You may know Ayesha McGowan as the professional bike racer for LIV Cycling. Or maybe you know her as the writer behind the well-known blog A Quick Brown Fox. Or maybe you know her for her advocacy in promoting diversity and inclusion in the world of cycling—from getting more POC on bikes to ensuring that they're able to actually move up in the ranks.

She started her journey several years ago with the goal of becoming the United States’ first Black professional woman cyclist. After years of moving steadily up in the cycling rankings, in 2021, she officially joined LIV Cycling’s WorldTour team as a satellite rider. Most recently, she headed to her first European stage race, the seven-day Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche, where she took a seventh place finish on stage 6.

Here, Bicycling catches up with the 34-year-old as she gets back to training for her next adventure.


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