From Mother to Son: Chantrel and Dre Lee’s Journey at Blackstone Bicycle Works

Chantrel Lee (monther) and Dre Lee (Son)

Growing up in Woodlawn, Chantrel Lee found more than a bike at Blackstone Bicycle Works (BBW)—she found a safe haven. 

From 2005 to 2009, Chantrel participated in BBW’s youth program. “It [BBW] became a place where we were welcomed,” she recalls. “We learned to fix bikes, earned our own, and had a place just to be ourselves.”

Now a Resource Coordinator and Victim Advocate with Project H.O.O.D., Chantrel still carries the values she learned at BBW: kindness, responsibility, and a commitment to showing up for her community. “The adults here met us where we were. That kindness stuck with me, and I bring it into my work today.”

Fifteen years later, her son Dre unknowingly followed in her footsteps by joining BBW’s Spring Break Camp in 2024. After wearing out yet another bike, Dre walked into BBW to fix his chain and never looked back. “He’s been obsessed ever since,” Chantrel says with a smile. “He fixes bikes for his friends and brings them to the shop, just like I used to.”

Dre’s passion for tools, wheels, and hands-on learning found the perfect home at BBW. “This is the first extracurricular he’s truly excited about,” Chantrel adds. “It’s helping him grow, and I don’t have to spend a dollar.”

From one generation to the next, BBW continues to offer youth a space to learn, connect, and thrive.

“Every kid needs a bike, and a place like this.”

—Chantrel Lee