In September 2020, five Black and Latino young men cycle through the Deep South, seeking more than just miles—they’re chasing visibility, respect, and the right to be seen as equal. As the journey unfolds, so does a deeply personal story of brotherhood, identity, and the quiet power of showing up.
No Longer Bobby follows John “Bobby” Shackelford, a 25-year-old Brooklyn bike messenger whose daily rides have become an expression of freedom, identity, and resistance. In 2020, amidst a global racial reckoning, Bobby sets out to lead a 1,100-mile cycling journey through the Deep South to confront inequities in the sport.
With little planning and a lot of conviction, Bobby assembles a crew of four Black and Latino cyclists from different corners of his life. Together they set out on “The Underground Railroad Ride,” Beginning in Africatown, Alabama and ending in Washington, D.C., the ride traces sites of resistance and remembrance.
What begins as an adventure becomes a gruelling test of brotherhood. Heat, exhaustion, hostile roads, and a near-fatal medical emergency strain the group. Five years later, the riders reflect on how the journey reshaped their lives. For John, the transformation is literal he no longer goes by Bobby.
The Filmmakers
Fiz Olajide is a director who creates visually rich stories centered on people in motion, often set against the vastness of the great outdoors. Her aesthetic blends raw vérité with stylized precision, driven by a strong musical sensibility that shapes emotion and reveals moments of unexpected wonder.
Her feature directorial debut, IMPORTED, premiered globally on Hulu and Disney+ in 2025. The film follows eight American basketball players building careers overseas, exploring ambition, identity, and the cost of pursuing dreams far from home. She is currently directing her second feature, No Longer Bobby, which follows five young cyclists traveling through the Deep South in a contemporary journey shaped by history and brotherhood.
Her work has been supported by Sundance Institute, ITVS, Tribeca, Mountainfilm, Points North Institute, Firelight Media, and Black Public Media. Alongside her film work, Fiz has directed branded campaigns for Google, Uber, American Express, Burberry, and YouTube.
Nerenda Eid is a dynamic producer whose work spans commercials, branded content, experiential projects, and independent narrative and documentary film. She has collaborated with organizations such as The Recording Academy and The Guggenheim, bringing a keen artistic sensibility to every project. As a filmmaker and artist, Nerenda views art and cinema as a vehicle to rediscover our shared humanity, with a particular focus on stories that explore how modern cultural mythologies shape identity and perception.
She is currently in development on JIFJ, a documentary examining Islamophobic narratives, with funding from the Center for Asian American Media’s Building Bridges Doc Fund as well as the Doha Film Institute. She is also in post-production on No Longer Bobby, a cycling documentary supported by ITVS’ Series & Special Project Development, Points North Institute’s American Stories Documentary Fund, and co-production funding from Black Public Media. Additionally, she is developing a dramatic series set in the 14th century, further demonstrating her versatility and commitment to storytelling across genres and mediums.