Over 300 riders took to the streets of New Orleans to raise awareness of the Juneteenth holiday during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride. The community event began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue where riders clad in black took to bicycles of all shapes and sizes. About a dozen members of the New Orleans Police rode along on bicycles as and NOPD unit cleared the way for the procession.
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Artist Brandan “Bmike” Odums addresses the riders at his Studio Be on Royal Street during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders gather at Studio Be on Royal Street to listen to artist Brandan “Bmike” Odums during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders gather in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue for the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Members of the New Orleans Police lead the way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders gather at Studio Be on Royal Street to listen to artist Brandan “Bmike” Odums during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders gather at Studio Be on Royal Street to listen to artist Brandan “Bmike” Odums during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders gather at Studio Be on Royal Street to listen to artist Brandan “Bmike” Odums during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders gather at Studio Be on Royal Street to listen to artist Brandan “Bmike” Odums during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down Decatur Street and past Jackson Square during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down Decatur Street and past Jackson Square during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down Decatur Street and past Jackson Square during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders gather in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue for the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down Decatur Street and past Jackson Square during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders gather in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue for the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders gather in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue for the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders gather in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue for the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down Decatur Street and past Jackson Square during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down Decatur Street and past Jackson Square during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders make their way down Decatur Street and past Jackson Square during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Food is served on the neutral ground before the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders at the Carre Restaurant and Bar on Decatur Street during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders at the Carre Restaurant and Bar on Decatur Street during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders at the Carre Restaurant and Bar on Decatur Street during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders at the Carre Restaurant and Bar on Decatur Street during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders arrive at Morrow’s Restaurant on St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders arrive at Morrow’s Restaurant on St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Riders gather at Morrow’s Restaurant on St. Claude Avenue during the Juneteenth Blackout Bike Ride which began in the 3100 block of St. Claude Avenue and made pit-stops at several Black-owned businesses. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed. Photographed on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
The riders made pit-stops for refreshments and talks at several Black-owned businesses, including Studio Be on Royal Street, Carre Restaurant and Bar on Decatur Street, and Morrow’s Restaurant on St. Claude Avenue. The ride was one of several local and national events marking Juneteenth, named after the 19th day of June in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas finally learned they had been freed.
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Michael DeMocker has been a photojournalist in New Orleans for over twenty years. He’s been the National Press Photographer Association’s Regional Photographer of the Year three times and loves photographing all things New Orleans. He lives Uptown with his wife, son, and two dogs of varying intelligence.
