Moving Freely — Lawndale Pop-Up Spot

A collaboration between Equiticity and the Lawndale Pop-Up Spotcurated by Mechiya Jamison — A collaboration between Equiticity and the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot
***curated by Mechiya Jamison***

May 15 - June 15, 2021
Lawndale Pop-Up Spot @ Love Blooms Here Plaza
Central Park Ave. & Douglas Blvd.

Co-sponsored by Working Bikes, NLCCC Transportation & Infrastructure and GROWSS Committees, Divvy/Lyft, Boxing Out Negativity, and LVEJO.

Curated by recently graduated UIC College of Urban Planning and Public Administration student Mechiya Jamison, Moving Freely explores how mobility in its various forms can contribute to the fight for racial equity and build collective power for Chicago’s westside Black and Brown communities. The exhibit celebrates Equiticity's 2020 “mobility rituals” (walks and rides) through Douglass Park, North Lawndale, Little Village, and other parts of Chicago. The walks and rides provided an opportunity for residents to learn about the interconnected histories, cultures, and environmental issues of their surrounding communities, and Equiticity's work toward racial equity.

Moving Freely is a unique exhibit in a unique space. In just a 20-foot upcycled shipping container, visitors can spin a bicycle wheel to learn statistics around mobility injustice and how to counter it; pedal a stationary bike to light up a wall or play music; watch videos from the 2020 mobility rituals; and explore a timeline of Black joy and trauma associated with water. According to Jamison, “My goal with Moving Freely is to celebrate and learn from the past while maintaining focus on what we can do here and now to fight for racial equity and justice.” She adds, “In addition to facts and figures, and the interactive parts, the exhibit is grounded in natural elements like water, air, and earth. I wanted to highlight how the fight for racial equity is as inevitable as nature.”