This Black Model Champions Community At The ‘And Still We Ride’ Award Ceremony  – Essence

In 2020, Marz Lovejoy birthed a revolutionary idea inspired by the beloved poet and author Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise. “And Still We Ride,” a New York-based nonprofit pouring into the needs of Black maternal health came about organically as Lovejoy’s ethos of activism is solely based in community, not accolades or attention. Since then, she’s been able to raise roughly $15,000 for Black Women’s health organizations such as Mama Glow, Black Women’s Blueprint, and Glits Inc., all through her accessible annual bike ride.

Riding a bike is an activity that somehow breathes life back into you. It can help clear your mind and embodies childhood nostalgia with such enchantment. No wonder this bike ride event is so popular among Black women. In tandem with this event came the “And Still We Ride” Awards, which took place a day before the “ride out.”

“Last year, 2023, was the first time we did the award ceremony celebrating Black women in the community and girls in the community. And this year, I knew I wanted it to be bigger,” shared Lovejoy with ESSENCE. “I wanted it to be its own thing. I wanted it to be intentional. So, eventually it will build up to be a really recognized award ceremony. That’s the goal. 

The ceremony was intimately set in the heart of Williamsburg at The Soft Space, with attendees impeccably dressed. A small memorial for the late and unfairly taken Sonya Massey was on display to honor her. 

Each woman honored with an award has stood tall in her convictions and extended a helping hand to her own community to thrive. Ayo Harrington, Chanel L. Porchia-Albert, Farhia Tato, Gia Love, and Isatou Fatty, the award winners, are five women with vastly different backgrounds. Yet, riding bikes holds a special place in each of their lives. Harrington is an East Villager in New York City who has been involved in the local community garden as well as Civil Rights Movements since the 1960s. She’s an advocate for housing ownership for those who have reclaimed or rehabilitated buildings and also advocates for abandoned lots to be turned into community gardens.

Porchia-Albert is a mother of six and the founder of Ancient Song, a global birth justice organization that fights against the maternal and infant mortality rate among Black and brown communities. Within this organization, Black mothers are able to experience healthier birthing as well as doula training for those who want to help with this mission. Porchia-Albert also is working toward establishing a doula program in Addis Ababa. Tato is a writer, community organizer, and founder of Tender Possibilities, a poetry reading group and a placemaking initiative.

Gia Love is a prominent Black trans activist and model based in New York. She is known for her advocacy work within the LGBTQ+ community. Love has been hosting a yearly event called the Celebration of Black Trans Women Cookout at Herbert Von King Park in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn since 2021. Last but not least, Isatou, a Bronx high school student, is making a difference through volunteering in her own community at the Lower East Side Girls Club and was honored for her work.

“When I’m thinking of honorees, it’s not just from who I want to honor; it’s a collective, so I asked social media for recommendations, I asked my team, I asked my friends. In that process, then we boil it down to who we want to honor. Of course, we want to honor everybody, but definitely somebody who’s in birth work,” Lovejoy explained. “It’s also multi-generational, that’s really important. We want to also recognize Black trans women,that’s [also] important.”

As each woman received her award, heartfelt speeches were made, tears were shed, and important messages about being active in one’s community and exercising your right to vote were shared. Finally, a toast was made using Saint Heron’s latest homeware collection, which was designed by Solange Knowles, and a moment of silence was observed for Sonya Massey.

And Still We Ride Team

Marz Lovejoy: Founder 

Angie Chavez : Co-Founder 

Diamon Fisher: Producer 

Monica Reyes: Manager 

Kim Dillard: Press & Volunteers 

Isabeau Touchard: Press