North Lawndale will be the site on May 17 of the fifth annual Bike Out Negativity, a free, anti-violence bike ride and youth celebration organized by Boxing Out Negativity.
The free, family-friendly event will begin at 12 noon with an Impact Expo showcasing local organizations, followed by a six-mile community bike ride at 3 p.m. starting across from St. Agatha Catholic Church, 3147 W. Douglas Blvd, Chicago. The event is expected to draw several hundred people.
Boxing Out Negativity is a Chicago-based nonprofit founded in 2009 by Derek Brown that empowers West Side youth through boxing, mentorship and community programs.
Brown was born on June 24, 1976, into a gang- and drug-infested community with few positive outlets. At the age of 17, he went to the penitentiary; by 19, he had lost his best friend to violence and had been shot himself, an all-too-common fate among his peers.
After turning his life around following incarceration and homelessness, he launched Boxing Out Negativity to give youth the opportunities he never had – transforming his pain into a to turn lives. For Brown, Boxing Out Negativity is not just a program, it’s a way of life.
“With all that madness – faith-based communities, churches, and various political groups – they would come after our drug spots and try to shut us down with marches. They’d chant, ‘Up with hope, down with dope,’ but that only made things worse. So what Biking Out Negativity does – we’re not waiting until a shooting or a killing happens. We’re here to prevent it,” Brown said.
Brown emphasized that the goal isn’t simply to shut people down. Instead, he stressed a message of support and solidarity in letting individuals know they’re not alone and that they are loved and that help is available.
“What Biking Out Negativity does is different – we’re not waiting for a shooting or a killing to happen. We’re here to prevent it. But we’re not just here to shut you down,” Brown said.
The purpose of organizing Bike Out Negativity is to create lasting memories for local youth, especially given Brown’s own experience growing up amid violence, drugs and gang activity.
“I was born into a community affected by drugs and gangs. It’s still the same today, so the goal is to create positive memories and show what a supportive, uplifting community can look like. The purpose is to bring positivity to the youth,” Brown said.
When asked what the atmosphere is like during the ride, Brown emphasized that people need to be there to experience it and it is a sense of relief.
“The energy is just amazing – all smiles, children smiling and playing as we go past these hostile blocks,” Brown said.
Brown says the goal is not just to host a community event, but to unite local organizations, faith-based groups and programs to bring vital resources such as jobs, recreation and wellness services to the neighborhood.
The event draws support from numerous organizations such as the bicycle shops Working Bikes in Chicago and Wheel & Sprocket in Oak Park.
Working Bikes donates more than 100 bicycles to be given away for free to community members, while Wheel & Sprocket, based in Oak Park, provides free bike repairs for any child in need.
“You have the Riot Fest come out with their booth and they give jobs to the people that’s within the community. You have so many organizations that come out and local businesses come out too, offering samples of the products they’re selling in the community,” Brown said. “That helps us keep a certain amount of dollars circulating within the community, especially since North Lawndale is a food desert.”
The event grows each year, expanding from just about 13 youth at the first Bike Out Negativity to several hundred now, as consistent efforts raise community awareness.
“Our routes pass through some of the most hostile areas in North Lawndale, but through community engagement, those blocks have come to embrace Boxing Out Negativity as a beacon of hope,” Brown said.