Nurturing and Celebrating Diversity in Mountain Biking - Bentonville Economic Development
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Summary
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell shares the studio with Harry Hill, Founder of Minority Mountain Bikers (MMB), an organization dedicated to increasing and highlighting diversity in mountain biking. This episode spotlights the third annual Minority Mountain Bikers Bentonville Bike Week, comprising several days of rides, skills clinics, cultural events and community activities. Throughout the episode, James and Harry discuss the genesis and evolution of Minority Mountain Bikers, riders’ experiences during MMB Bentonville Bike Week and the wide range of support received from Bentonville and numerous people and organizations across Northwest Arkansas.

Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes
Timestamps in this blog are for the audio-only version of the podcast; video timing differs.
(0:52) Introduction to Harry
(2:32) Harry’s Passion for Mountain Biking
(5:25) About Minority Mountain Bikers
(6:49) Why MMB Chose Bentonville 
(8:13) About MMB Week
(11:26) Experiencing MMB Bentonville Bike Week
(16:43) How Bentonville Has Helped Diversity Initiatives
(21:28) #BecauseBentonville Story
(33:24) How Bentonville Has People Live Their Best Lives
(37:58) Closing Question

Links‍‍‍
JAMES BELL
BENTONVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
HARRY HILL
MINORITY MOUNTAIN BIKERS

Quotes

“…most people are welcoming, but at the same time you tend to not feel like you can be yourself all the time when you’re the only one because it feels like you’re representing all Black people. So riding with more folks that have experienced life the same way you’ve experienced it is kind of where it started.”
 – Harry Hill, (5:54)

“We want it to be more than just bike riding. We want it to be like an overall experience. We want people to come in, have a good time and meet each other.” – Harry Hill, (15:57)

“One of my favorite things is something that’s after the event where I see somebody from one part of the country go to another part of the country and they meet up with somebody else that they met here. That’s a result of what we do, and I feel like that’s fantastic.” 
– Harry Hill, (19:10)

“I haven’t been anywhere that’s like this [in Bentonville], where everything is so right here. Even if you don’t want to ride at Coler or Slaughter Pen, it’s all so close. There’s no reason not to be outside.” – Harry Hill, (34:31)

Nurturing and Celebrating Diversity in Mountain Biking with Harry Hill of Minority Mountain Bikers
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell shares the studio with Harry Hill, Founder of Minority Mountain Bikers (MMB), an organization dedicated to increasing and highlighting diversity in mountain biking. This episode spotlights the third annual Minority Mountain Bikers Bentonville Bike Week, comprising several days of rides, skills clinics, cultural events and community activities. Throughout the episode, James and Harry discuss the genesis and evolution of Minority Mountain Bikers, riders’ experiences during MMB Bentonville Bike Week and the wide range of support received from Bentonville and numerous people and organizations across Northwest Arkansas.

Being Minority Focused
What started as a Facebook group organizing local rides has turned into an organization committed to showcasing riders of all genders and ethnicities. Black and Brown people have consistently been underrepresented in the mountain biking community, motivating Minority Mountain Bikers to improve these longstanding inequalities by unapologetically focusing on minority riders.

“…most people are welcoming, but at the same time you tend to not feel like you can be yourself all the time when you’re the only one because it feels like you’re representing all Black people. So riding with more folks that have experienced life the same way you’ve experienced it is kind of where it started.” – Harry Hill, (5:54)

Minority Mountain Bikers hosts a variety of bike rides and events all over the world. Earlier this year, it organized MMB Jamaica Bike Week and Family Day at Patapsco State Park in Maryland. More recently was MMB Bentonville Bike Week, where attendees had the opportunity to participate in Rich Drew’s The Ride Series skills clinics, happy hour gatherings, guided rides with Ozark Bike Guides and Women of Oz and even off-bike activities like exploring the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and brewery tours.

Advancing Diversity Initiatives
Some organizations supporting Minority Mountain Bikers are Visit Bentonville, Ozark Outdoor Foundation, Discover Bella Vista, Runway Group and Custom Electronics. These organizations have provided funding as well as logistical support, such as lodging and transportation for MMB Bentonville Bike Week.

This year, Minority Mountain Bikers hosted fifty-seven individuals to participate in MMB Bentonville Bike Week, with sixteen different states represented and a third of the attendees being female riders. And next year, MMB is looking to organize an even bigger event surrounding the Juneteenth holiday.

“We want it to be more than just bike riding. We want it to be like an overall experience. We want people to come in, have a good time and meet each other.” – Harry Hill, (15:57)

Get Connected!
Thank you for tuning into this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories and advice from the entrepreneurs, business executives and community leaders who are sparking the rise of Bentonville. If you are interested in discussing whether your business should have a presence in Bentonville or would like to discuss this podcast, please contact James Bell. You may reach James at jbell@greaterbentonville.com or (479) 273-2841.

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