This 2010 short documentary was made by Zackary Canepari and Drea Cooper as part of their project “California is a place” that looks closely at the “words and images, stories and songs, opinions and ideas” of California. In this short, we meet Tyrone “Champ” Stevenson who founded the Scraper Bike Movement in 2006 with his cousin Avery “AP” Pittman, Sr. The Scraper Bike Team empowers urban youth living in underserved communities through self-expression and creativity toward youth entrepreneurship and they promote healthy, sustainable living for all.

discussion

What are the requirements for being part of the Scraper Bike Team?

What do you think Champ means when he says Scraperbikes can help kids “get their mind off of what’s really going on in the streets”?

Why do you think Canepari and Cooper decided to feature Scrapertown in their series about California?

Can you think of any other community movements or groups that represent California (or another city or state) but are rarely spoken about?