About Kittie Knox Presented By Lorenz J. Finison | Landry's Bicycles Newton

66 Needham Street,Newton MA 02461

06 December, 2022

Description

Landry's Bicycles invites you to join us for a special book talk: “Kittie Knox, 1890s Boston Cyclist — Famous Until She Wasn't ” presented by Lorenz J. Finison, author, historian & cycling enthusiast Event highlights Tuesday, December 6, 6:30–8:00pm - Landry's Newton Come learn how Boston cyclist Kittie Knox broke through racial and gender barriers in the 1890s. Lorenz Finison's presentation will bring her amazing story back to life. Light refreshments will be served.Free off-street parkingFree bike-valet and bike-wash service to anyone who rides to the event.About Kittie Knox Kittie Knox was a biracial Boston seamstress and strong bicycle rider who challenged the color line. They tried to keep her in a long skirt and on a “ladies” bike and slow her down, and they tried to kick her out of the League of American Wheelmen cycling club. But Kittie Knox, the strong “woman scorcher” cyclist from Boston in the 1890s, resisted and persisted. She dealt with norms and rules about what proper women should do on a bike and with restrictions due to her race and skin color. Here’s her story — and the story of her communities, her supporters, and her opponents. Presenter Background Lorenz J. Finison is a public health consultant and bicycling historian who researches issues of race, class, and gender. He received his degree in Social Psychology from Columbia University. His bicycling history publications include Boston’s Cycling Craze, 1880-1900: A Story of Race, Sport, and Society (2014); Boston’s 20th Century Bicycling Renaissance: Cultural Change on Two Wheels (2018); and Bicycling Inclusion and Equity: Histories of New England and Beyond (2022, forthcoming). He is a founding member of Cycling Through History and the Friends of the Bicycling History Collections at University of Massachusetts-Boston. He is a longtime member of the Charles River Wheelers and most recently a founding member of the New England Cycling Coalition for Diversity.