Saturday morning came with a nice blue sky. The kind of day where you could hear kids waking up before the sun was even fully up-screen doors slamming, bike tires rolling across the sidewalks, somebody’s little sister calling for her jump rope. Derrick was already on his porch steps pumping air into his back tire when Marcus came flying around the corner on his green stingray, with the banana seat and sissy bar.
C’mon y’all. Let’s go! he shouted.
Behind him came Tony, Leon, Reggie, and a bunch of other neighborhood kids. Even Kim and Nina showed up with streamers on their bike handlebars. Tony had playing cards attached to his bike with clothes line pins, so the cards would hit against the bike spokes and sound like a motor when he rode.
Before they knew it, there were at least twenty kids gathered in front of Derrick’s house. Corky showed up last, as usual, his bike squeaking like it needed prayer.
“What’s wrong with it now?” Tony asked.
“Ain’t nothing wrong,” Corky insisted. “Chain just slips sometimes.”
“Sometimes?” Leon asked. “Man, that thing comes off more than your shoes.”
It didn’t matter-Corky was coming, with his slipping chain and all. They weren’t leaving him behind.
They took off like a small army down 41st to 4th Avenue, then headed south on 4th Avenue toward Minnehaha Parkway. A few neighbors waved. Little kids pointed in awe. Older kids laughed, probably remembering back when they did the same type of thing.
Corky’s chain…….Again. They had gone about ten minutes before it happened. They were riding along when they heard a CRRK! Then Corky yelling, “Hold up! My chain came off!”
Everybody groaned in harmony. Kim said, “That’s once.”
Tony said, “We taking bets? I say five times today.”
“I say eight.” Leon said.
“Ten.” Reggie added.
“Very funny.” Corky muttered as he flipped his bike over.
Derrick knelt down beside him.
“Here. Hold the wheel steady.”
Marcus wiped imaginary sweat from his brow.
“This is why we can’t ever go anyplace.”
The teasing was friendly. Nobody was mad. They were kids in summer with nowhere to rush to. The chain finally clicked back on, and off they went.
Other people along Minnehaha Creek noticed them right away. Twenty or more Black kids laughing, riding bikes, taking up the whole trail-something you didn’t see every day in Minneapolis, in 1968. Some folks smiled. Some waved.
Others…stared.
A couple slowed their walking pace, clutching their purses or pulling children closer. One man on a bench took off his sunglasses just to get a better look.
“Why are they looking at us like that?” Nina asked.
“Because we look good! Marcus joked, popping a wheelie.
Derrick just shrugged. He noticed it too, but it didn’t stick to him the way it might’ve earlier in the summer.
“Forget them,” he said. “We’re just riding.”
And they were. Just kids. Just happy. Wind in their faces. Sun on their backs. Tires humming like music. For a little while, nothing else mattered.
Half a mile later.
CRRK!
“Man, come on! Corky said, dragging his feet to stop.
“That’s two.” Kim announced.
They circled around him like members of a pit crew. Leon folded his arms.
“Corky, I’m starting to think your bike is possessed.”
“It ain’t possessed!” Corky said indignantly. “It’s just been through some things.”
“You say that like it’s a person.” Nina laughed.
By the third chain slip, everyone just started shouting, “Three!” before Corky even said anything. Still nobody left him behind. The stops became part of the rhythm. Part of the fun. Part of being kids who looked out for each other.
They were about halfway down the parkway when the mood changed. A Minneapolis police car rolled slowly behind them. Not speeding. Not even with the lights on. Just creeping.
Everyone noticed. The car eased up beside them. The officer inside rolled down the window.
“Hey. Hey you kids,” the cop called. The whole crew slowed to a stop.
Derrick felt his stomach tighten-not fear exactly, but that uncomfortable awareness every black kid in 1968 carried.
The officer stepped out, planting his feet wide like he needed to show authority.
“You kids know you’re riding in a big group,” he said sharply. “Taking up too much of the trail. People are calling in complaining. You need to break it up.”
“We’re just riding bikes.” Tony said before he could stop himself.
The cop’s eye narrowed.
“Watch your tone.”
Leon muttered.
“He ain’t said nothing wrong…”
The officer looked around at all of them, counting faces, eyes hard. Too hard for kids who still watched Saturday morning cartoons.
“Look,” Derrick said carefully, “we’re not trying to block anyone. We can ride in smaller groups.”
The officer studied his a few seconds longer than necessary, then finally nodded.
“See that you do,” he said. “I’ll be back around.”
He got in his police car, slammed the door, and drove off slow. No lights. No sirens. Just presence. Heavy and unnecessary.
For a moment, the everyone just sat there, the creek running quietly behind them, birds chirping like they didn’t notice anything had happened.
Kim finally broke the silence.
“Well…that was dumb.”
“He could’ve just said, ‘Hey kids, move over.” Nina added.
Leon rolled his shoulder like he was shaking off water.
“Man forget him. We riding today.”
Derrick looked around at all of them. His friends. His neighbors. His whole little community on wheels.
“He’s right about one thing,” Derrick said. “We can ride in smaller groups.”
Tony grinned.
“Yeah, like groups of twenty.”
Everyone laughed.
Because that’s what kids from the neighborhood did. They kept rolling. They kept laughing. They kept being themselves, even when the world tried to make them shrink. Even though the run-in with the police stuck in their minds, it didn’t ruin the day. Not even close.
The sun was still shining. The creek was still flowing. Corky’s chain stayed on-for once, and twenty Black kids rode down Minnehaha Parkway like they owned it.
Because in this moment…..they did.
