Black Leaders Detroit is once again putting wheels to purpose with the 2025 Ride for Equity, a cycling event designed to raise funds and awareness for equitable funding practices for African American entrepreneurs and business owners. This year’s national ride spans more than 1,600 miles from Tulsa, Oklahoma to New York City, beginning on May 31.  

The Ride for Equity events kick off locally with a series of activities on May 17 in Detroit, including a community bike ride from Corktown to Belle Isle along the Detroit Riverfront, a community run and a Yin Yoga for Equity session.  

The Ride for Equity national bike ride begins in Tulsa’s historic Greenwood District, famously known as Black Wall Street, and ends July 4 in New York City’s Wall Street. Over the course of five weeks, riders will travel through key cities and towns where they will host community discussions and uplift Black business owners. These stops include Rolla, Missouri; Terre Haute, Indiana; Belmont, Ohio; and State College, Pennsylvania. 

Proceeds from the event benefit Black Leaders Detroit’s efforts to support Black-owned businesses. To date, the nonprofit has distributed more than $4 million in loans and grants to over 600 businesses and organizations led by African Americans.  

Host Stephen Henderson talks with Dwan Dandridge, CEO and founder of Black Leaders Detroit, about the group’s local and national Ride for Equity events. Plus, Dandridge talks about the significance of starting the bike ride in Tulsa and the history of Black Wall Street before it was destroyed in 1921.