HER’STORY

Before the initial invasion of the european colonizers, indigenous people throughout Anahuac and Turtle Island were largely matriarchal societies, in which womxn and our Earth Mother were not only respected as care givers, leaders warriors, comrades but most importantly, as the foundation of a thriving, balanced and holistically healthy nation.

We, as O.V.A.S. Psycos firmly believe that Womxn of Color and the land are now and always have been interchangeable. We both continue to be simultaneously exploited, occupied and raped within patriarchal societies, specifically by the foreign power structures of white supremacy. We view government and their agencies acting on their behalf as actively engaging in strategies to annihilate, displace and enslave people of color while progressively harming our people and Mother Earth in the process.

O.V.A.S Psycos formally know as Ovarian Psycos Crew/Brigade (OPC) was established in the summer of 2010 as a response to the legacy of oppression dating back 500 years has created conditions in which many of us come from broken homes and are survivors of abuse. We choose the bicycle not only because it allows us to exercise our bodies, while trying to reverse the cultural shift from a profoundly respectful relationship with Tonantzin, Mother Earth, into a concrete barren urban jungle, but also because we’re are broke inner-city oppressed peoples and cycling is our only means of transportation. For these and many other reasons, we recognize how vulnerable we are on bicycles and work to empower womxn to take back the streets with an understanding that sisters have our back. #mecuidanmisamigas

OPC exists in Los Angeles because LA is dominated by car culture and bike culture is dominated by middle and upper class white men. We believe that it is dangerous to live in a society that doesn’t cultivate community, sisterhood, companerism@, mutual acuerdos.. but more importantly.. a community that refrains from cultivating rebellion and resistance, fawwwwk- might as well be waving a lil white flag, full surrender.

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Ovarian Psyco-Cycle Brigade (OPC) are womxn of color, xisters, mothers, overgrown knuckleheads, riders, writers, students, wage slaves, hustlers, artists, MCs, poets, intellectuals, radical scholars, passionate womxn, environmentalists, urban farmers, medicine womxn, militants, feminists, renaissance womxn, fearless fierro riders and modern-day charras on steel horses!

Outside of working with OPC – we work with youth and the community. We do because it’s fkng necessary and our goddamned obligation to do so. We were raised under systematic subordination to white supremacist cultural norms that told us that brown is not beautiful, that womxn of color know only to be meek, subservient, ultimately a threat to main stream society-fear freedom. We work daily to break these norms. We know that another world IS possible and it is our duty and responsibility to pass that knowledge on to other young Womxn of Color.