San Francisco's first-ever Black history bike ride kicks off in Bayview

"Mary Ellen Pleasant, a Black woman born in 1814 who became a multi-millionaire and, in 1859, funded John Brown's famed raid on Harper's Ferry, according to an interview she gave a reporter in her later years. When Brown was hanged, a note in his pocket read: 'The ax is laid at the foot of the tree. When the first blow is struck, there will be more money to help.' It was reportedly from Pleasant."

"Pleasant became a financier and key part of the Underground Railroad in California; she was known as the mother of the California civil rights movement. Pleasant owned property across San Francisco and was called 'Mammy Pleasant' in the city because she worked as a domestic servant, reportedly to hide her wealth. She listed her occupation on the 1890 census as 'capitalist,' according to the National Park Service."

San Francisco hosted its inaugural Black History Month bike ride, attracting approximately 150 participants for a 4-mile journey from Yerba Buena Gardens to the Ruth Williams Opera House in Bayview. The event blended physical activity with historical education, featuring stops where cyclists learned about significant Black historical figures. At South Park, participants discovered Mary Ellen Pleasant's remarkable legacy as a multi-millionaire born in 1814 who funded John Brown's Harper's Ferry raid and became instrumental in California's Underground Railroad. Pleasant, known as the mother of California's civil rights movement, strategically worked as a domestic servant to conceal her wealth while accumulating substantial San Francisco property holdings. The ride combined learning with community engagement through trivia challenges.

Read at Mission Local