Ride For Black Lives

My name is Jarish Cohen and I'm a dermatopathologist and postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco. I migrated over to San Francisco six years ago from the Maryland/Virginia region. I came from meager beginnings and consider myself fortunate to have been raised in a multicultural environment that gave me a little perspective on the complexities of American society. The events that have unfolded in our nation this summer have laid bare and brought to the fore the systemic brutality and oppression black people have endured for centuries. It has placed a mirror in front of our hearts and minds and has caused Americans to reckon with our sordid history of slavery, the reverberations of which continue to this day. 

George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Rayshard Brooks, Freddy Gray, Michael Brown, Emmett Till. Say their names. Recall their images. They are just the tip of the iceberg; the visible few that represent the overwhelming murder, brutality, and racism that has and continues to consume this nation. 

I have experienced a whirlwind of emotions but mostly sadness, anger, and shame. I am prejudiced and biased. This is an uncomfortable truth. The recent events have pushed me to look inward on how to better myself to become anti-racist in my thoughts, words, and actions. 

I have taken part in protests in San Francisco and have been thinking of a way to keep up the momentum of the Black Lives Matter cause in a personal way. This is what I've come to: I am going to attempt to continuously cycle all three major peaks in the Bay Area (Mount Hamilton, Mount Diablo, Mount Tamalpais) on Saturday, July 25th. It'll be the most physically and psychologically challenging day I'll experience on a bike by a long shot, but I feel that my heart is pure and my cause is just.

What: Ride For Black Lives
Where: Bay Area Triple Crown (Mount Hamilton, Mount Diablo, Mount Tamalpais), ~150 miles, 10k+ ft elevation (Strava will sort it out)
When: Saturday, July 25th (however long it takes)
Why: Black Lives Matter
How: Coffee, Snickers, Water, Will Power

I am asking for donations, however large or small, and will be transferring the proceeds equally amongst the following organizations involved in the fight for equality and justice for black lives (shout out to my friends that helped me with this list):

-The Movement For Black Lives (M4BL) (https://m4bl.org)
-Equal Justice Initiative (https://eji.org)
-Until Freedom (https://www.untilfreedom.com)
-Black Visions Collective (https://www.blackvisionsmn.org)

Even if you don't donate, please ask yourself: how can I be a more anti-racist human being that treats others with compassion, dignity, and humanity?