In the summer of 2020, Talib Abdullahi posted on Instagram about a bike ride. He wanted to gather some friends to explore Austin’s Black history — maybe 20 or 30 people. Over 400 showed up.
That ride became Black History Bike Ride.
What started as a single morning on two wheels has grown into an Austin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit bringing Black history to life through community cycling, education, and documentary film. Today, BHBR draws hundreds of riders per event — all ages, all abilities — stopping at landmarks that tell the deeper story of Black Austin: the Texas African American History Memorial, the Haskell House, Huston-Tillotson University, Richard Overton’s home, Oakwood Cemetery, and more.
From the beginning, BHBR has been powered by community. Volunteers, local cycling clubs, historians, pedicabbers, local restaurants, and neighbors have all shown up to make these rides possible. Support from the City of Austin’s Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment office has helped BHBR grow its programming and deepen its impact.
In 2023, BHBR took the ride further than ever — 350 miles from the Texas Capitol to Galveston, the birthplace of Juneteenth. That journey became The Route to Emancipation, BHBR’s debut documentary, which aired on Austin PBS and won Best Texas Short Documentary at the Denton Black Film Festival.
Now, BHBR’s second feature documentary, Cycles of Resilience: A Journey Through Austin’s Black History, is making its world premiere at the American Black Film Festival in May 2026 — and its Austin premiere at Austin Film Society Cinema on June 17th.
The ride continues.
