How do you keep at-risk Oakland youth from getting into trouble and staying in school? Tyrone Stevenson, aka “The Scraper King” has an answer: give them a bike, let them customize it and ride together as a community—but only if you maintain a 2.0 GPA and take really good care of your ride.
The scraper bike community started in Oakland, but it’s picked up in other cities. Like the low rider bikes of Los Angeles, scraper bikes are modeled after their larger motorized version. Each scraper bike is uniquely outfitted with colorful paint, foil and tape. The scraper wheels are at the center of the look, and scraper kids painstakingly tape, foil and bling out their wheels day after day.
Hundreds of youth have joined the scraper movement, transforming discarded or hand me down bikes into works of art. And in doing so, they’ve transformed their lives. Take a look at this great short documentary, Scrapertown, which shows how the bikes are customized and the impact its had on the lives of the kids involved.
This Saturday, the Scraper King will be leading a free workshop and session on Scraper Bikes at Intersection for the Arts. Learn more about the movement and how to transform your own bike into a custom scraper. Pedalers and artists of all ages are welcome to attend.
Event details: Scraper Bike Workshop & Ride, Intersection for the Arts, 12-3pm.
