10-24-2021 Women to Watch - Flipbook - Page 23
BRITTANY YOUNG
32, founder and CEO of B-360
As dirt bikers continued to be criminalized, Brittany Young made it a mission
of hers to reframe the culture of the sport
that holds a special place in the hearts of
Baltimore’s youth.
In 2017, she launched B-360, a nonprofit that teaches youth the science behind dirt biking. As they learn to repair,
fix and ride safely, they’re exposed to science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM).
Young, who grew up in Park Heights
in West Baltimore, said her nonprofit has
worked with more than 7,000 young students since its inception. Dirt biking on
public or private properties in Baltimore
is illegal. While some view it as a sport,
others say it’s dangerous because riders
have performed stunts in traffic, The Sun
has reported.
Young’s greatest achievements has
been being able to use the parking lot of
the B&O Railroad Museum in Southwest
Baltimore for dirt bikers temporarily, she
said, and creating a diversion program
targeting adults charged with dirt bike
violations and minor offenses.
Her goal is to launch a campaign this
fall to raise money for a permanent space
to provide indoor and outdoor space for
riders, among other features.
“I’m not a rider because [I don’t like to
fall]” Young said. “And I always say that:
‘Whatever your favorite sport is, that does
not mean you have to participate to be a
fan.’”
Fagan Harris, president and CEO of
Baltimore Corps, who also serves as chair
of B-360, said there’s a racist narrative
about Black youth who ride dirt bikes
that labels them as troublemakers deserving to be criminalized.
“What [Young] has gotten us to see in
Baltimore City is that there’s passion and
intelligence and commitment that motivate these young people to ride dirt bikes,
to fix them and learn how they work,” he
said. “We ought to be thinking about this
as a STEM education and workforce development opportunity.”
— Billy Jean Louis
PHOTO BY
KARL M. FERRON
2021
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WO M E N T O WAT C H
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