Microcosm Publishing & Distribution - Bicycle Culture Rising Zine #4: Kittie Knox

Zine / pamphlet. Published by Microcosm! In the 1890s, bicycling was a cultural activity for the wealthy elite, with a bicycle costing about twenty weeks of a laborer's pay. There were strict cultural norms and bicyclists were painted as scofflaws in the media. Kittie Knox, a teenage Black girl, began making headlines in her hometown of Boston,  showing up in homemade tailored suits while most participants had expensive, specialized clothing. Knox soon took home a first prize and was bolstered to attend the League of American Wheelmen's national event in Asbury Park, NJ. The only problem, of course, is that Kittie was absolutely not welcome. The League had recently passed the color bar, saying that only white people could join the organization. But Kittie showed up anyway, turned heads, made her mark, and changed bicycling forever. This standalone zine is #4 in the Bicycle Culture Rising series.