Pedaling Forward, Looking Back: A Global Oral History Archive
The Spokespeople Project is an international oral history initiative dedicated to exploring the cultural and social significance of bicycles across the world. Through firsthand interviews with students from diverse countries, cultures, and communities, the project documents the many roles bicycles play in people's lives, from transportation and recreation to access to education, economic opportunity, and personal freedom.
Inspired by the spokes of a bicycle wheel, which connect its outer rim to a central hub, The Spokespeople Project brings together individual stories and perspectives into a growing digital archive. By preserving these voices, we hope to celebrate cultural diversity, bring attention to disparities in access to opportunity, and highlight the shared humanity that connects us all. Ultimately, the project seeks to inspire greater understanding of how something as simple as a bicycle can carry vastly different meanings and help move us toward a more equitable and connected world.