Vision:
The NECCD vision is to help cycling organizations be more inclusive by hosting discussions, rides, events, and training.
Mission Statement:
The NECCD mission is to help facilitate changes that would make each of our organizations more widely welcoming. How will we accomplish this? We plan to have ongoing, open and welcoming discussions, rides and other events that emphasize diversity.
We are looking to provide inspiration, education, resources, and people-power to help everyone imagine and achieve greater diversity in their rides, to the extent possible. Each coalition organization and member can decide how best to move toward greater inclusivity, both within their own clubs and through NECCD initiatives.
Background:
The death of George Floyd was a major wake-up call. In the months that followed, numerous organizations around the country began looking more closely at themselves and asking what they could do to address social disparities that are so deeply rooted in American culture and systems.
Several members of Charles River Wheelers, one of the largest bicycling clubs in New England, put out a note inviting those who wished to explore how to expand diversity, equity and inclusion in the sport of cycling.
A core group of cyclists from that club and others — of mixed genders, ages, backgrounds and cycling styles — have been meeting weekly since May 2020 to see how we could make the sport more diverse and inclusive. We did not want to just talk. We wanted to achieve more DEI in cycling in a way that benefitted all. We brainstormed, asked ourselves questions, came to realizations, done research, collected resources, talked with clubs from around the country.
One realization was that we could be most effective by asking other cycling groups to join us in pursuit of this goal. Hence, the New England Cycling Coalition for Diversity, NECCD, was born. We invite you to help us make progress.
