Locals grabbed their bikes and rode throughout town to celebrate Juneteenth holiday on Wednesday, as part of the “Pedals for Progress” bike-a-thon and resources fair. Held by the Santa Monica Black Empowerment Association (SMBEA), the bike route began at Virginia Avenue Park and finished at the SMBEA offices at 520 Arizona Ave.
Riders supported several causes throughout the day, representing organizations like Climate Action Santa Monica, Clean Power Alliance, QuitCarbon, Building Decarbonization Coalition and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
Along with a Juneteenth celebration, commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States, the SMBEA offices played host to the Belize Nationality and Passports Department, taking appointments to apply for passports and nationality certificates as part of the inaugural Belize Diaspora Summit.
SMBEA is dedicated to providing support, education and connections for Santa Monica’s Black and Brown communities, and can be reached at SMBEA.org.
