It's here! Our first tee ever, and it's the perfect boxy, flowy crop of your dreams. In long sleeve and short sleeve options and soft, lived-in 100% organic cotton, we've been living in these for post-ride ease, WFH lewks, and casual rides around town.
The Machines Tee was designed for the individual to rep what our community is all about. The Machines community is not just cyclists, it's made up of people who are active in their community, leaders in their industries, and those who think outside the box to make the world better. We are honored to feature four local artists & entrepreneurs who embody this. Read on to hear more on their stories.
Meet Liliana, founder of Casting Black Skaters
MACHINES means: Paving the way
CASTING BLACK SKATERS showcases and connects talented Black skaters to paid opportunites in the media and enertainment industry. In addition, our social media page makes it a point to publicize Black skaters of all backgrounds and appearances. It serves as a space of inspiration, connection and visibility for the Black community. We value respect for others, leadership, open mindedness continuous learning, integrity, accountability, self-ownership, diversity, equality, and most of all the progression and advancement of Black people everywhere.
FREEDOM IS being able to literally and figuratively quiet the noises arund me and focus in on the feelings inside of me. When I roll on my eight wheels, I feel like I am communicating with the universe, higher beings, lost ones, strangers— everyone. Rollerskating is sacred to me. It is my form of prayer, healing and connection.
MY MOTTO IS In Lak’Ech, an Aztec poem on unity:
Tú eres mi otro yo.
You are my other me.
Si te hago daño a ti,
If I do harm to you,
Me hago dano a mi mismo.
I do harm to myself.
Si te amo y respeto,
If I love and respect you,
Me amo y respeto yo.
I love and respect myself.
Meet Yasmeen // Make Crenshaw Great Again
MACHINES means:Showing up for community
Make Crenshaw Great Again is a brand and blog whose mission is to grow a collective consciousness in the community by 1) learning/remembering our history (Crenshaw district) through community landmarks, community leaders, places of businesses or culture and events and 2) using that collective power to come together and plan/build the future we envision for us. Make Crenshaw Great Again started in December 2018. The founder, Sev, was inspired by the way Nipsey Hussle was celebrating and investing in Crenshaw, and wanted to bring energy and positive change to the other side of Crenshaw near Leimert Park.
FREEDOM IS speaking up and negotiating the most for myself from companies I work at even when I felt uncomfortable. There is a lot of preparation that goes into it: research, consulting with friends and mentors, late nights perfecting a project/skill, practicing what I need to say and anticipating the curveballs before I enter those negotiation rooms. I know that this work and bravery will benefit me and also other women down the line and that is one step closer to freedom to me. Freedom is BIPOC having more ownership of the power/resources and being able to exist and thrive without being gaslighted, cheated and held to a separate standard by companies.
MY MOTTO IS “Quick but not in a hurry” Meaning don’t sleep on yourself and your dreams but don’t rush through it or lose sight of why you do what you do. Ride your wave and enjoy the process.
Meet DJ Sizzle, Co-Founder of Cumbiáton Los Angeles
MACHINES means: Holding space for joy
MUSIC CREATES EMPOWERMENT. Music has been a lifeline for me many times. It has been there through the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've battled with depression since being a teenager and before having access to adequate mental health, music served as a form of therapy for me. In 2017, my longtime friend Norma Fajardo and I founded Cumbiáton Los Angeles. Cumbiaton’s vision is to center womxn, trans, and queer people of color both on the dance floor and in the Dj booth. We center our collective experiences to create events by us, for us. We do this because la Cumbia es Cultura.
FREEDOM IS radical joy, radical love, and liberation from all forms of oppression. Given the current state of the world, these ideals may feel farfetched, but music has a way of transporting us into different moments in our lives where we have felt free, happy, in love, and liberated.
MY MOTTO IS "Si una triunfa, todas triunfamos" meaning "If one of us makes it, we all make it". I love this quote because it speaks to the collective achievement and happiness I feel when I see other Black and Brown women/femmes succeeding at life. I'm a big believer in building with women/femmes because I truly feel we are unstoppable even more so when we have each other's backs. If you win, I win. Plain and simple.
Meet Mireya, Model & Self Love Advocate
MACHINES means:Celebrating self
SELF LOVE CONQUERS ALL. For many years I bought into the lies and myth that gray hair will make you look old. One month shy of turning 42, I challenged that and had decided to stop dying my hair. I was tired of having to cover it up every 2 weeks. I came to terms with myself, and thought, “Who am I kidding? This is me, I need to accept my age and all that comes with it, including gray hair. ENOUGH.” Contrary to what I believed, celebrating my age and self was the best challenge I've ever done. I’m more vibrant, and feel more beautiful today than during my younger years. Going gray and leaning into my whole self has opened a new career, a new mindset, and freedom.
FREEDOM IS being open to new things and not caring so much about the opinions of others. It is to love more freely, including loving myself, so that we can live more freely.
MY MOTTO ISbe assertive in what you want and go after it. Also remember, you are never too old to learn. Take one day at time. One challenge at a time. One victory at a time.
Photography by Naohmi Monroe
