JAMAICAN-BORN Ephraim Martin, chair of the Chicago-based Black Heroes Matter (BHM) Coalition and president of Martin’s International, has chalked up another victory for black Haitian founder of the Illinois city, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable.

“The BHM Coalition recently teamed up with Active Transportation Alliance to participate in the annually held Bike the Drive, which this year paid homage to the renaming of a section of the iconic Lake Shore Drive after the understated Haitian,” said Martin.

The family friendly event, titled Fifth Third Bank, Bike the Drive, drew over 20,000 cyclists from all over the country to ride car-free along the scenic 30-mile loop on the south and north lake shoreline.

It is the largest event to take place since the Chicago City Council voted to rename the drive the Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive on June 25, 2021, recognising him for settling on 800 acres of land at the mouth of the Chicago River 240 years ago and becoming the area’s first non-indigenous resident.

Fifth Third Bank, Bike the Drive is an annual fund-raiser for Active Transportation Alliance, a non-profit advocacy organisation working to improve conditions for walking, biking, and public transit throughout Chicagoland.

Martin, a former freelance photographer who migrated from Kingston, Jamaica to Chicago in 1982, delivered the welcome remarks to kick off the Bike the Drive event and thanked all of the volunteers and supporters for making the renaming of Lake Shore Drive to Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive (LSD) a reality.

He expressed special appreciation for and thanks to Alderman David L Moore and Alderman Sophia King for sponsoring the renaming LSD ordinance and played pivotal roles in ensuring that their voices were heard.

Martin also highlighted Alderman Howard Brookins, the chair of the Transportation and Public Way Committee, and Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, along with other key members of the city council, for their strong support. He thanked Mayor Lori L Lightfoot for proposing an additional US$40 million dollars of funding to bring greater recognition to Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable.

Larry Mogensen, Fifth Third Bank’s senior vice-president; Clare McDermott, director of marketing and special events; and Amy Rynell of Active Transportation Alliance also spoke to open and kick off the 30-mile event. Valerie Hill, communications chair for the BHM, participated in the ride on behalf of the organisation.

Martin later hosted a victory celebration at the International Festival of Life – Jerk, Seafood and Vegan Festival in Washington Park at the DuSable Museum of African American History’s sunken garden.