He was 86. Jay Leno. Four Dragons rode by on matching black-framed Harley Davidson choppers so called because they had been stripped of The East Bay Dragons motorcycling club was founded by Tobie Gene Levingston in the sixties, when a black man riding a Harley Davidson was unheard of. Buy It Now +$13.50 shipping. Big E.B. History. Theyd only talk about the good things they do and how they are positive role models for our children., Insane Throttle Support Club Become a member Now, Insane Throttle/Motorcycle Madhouse Radio YouTube and Audio Disclaimer, Meet the Insane Throttle Contributing Columnist James Hollywood Macecari, Motorcycle Clubs Riding Clubs and Associations Near Me Index & Listings, Our Policies here at Insane Throttle Publications. On Wednesday, the club shared newsof Levingstons passing and asked well-wishers to keep Levingstons wife and children and club members in their prayers, saying: Rest in Heaven, Pres.. Starting in the East Bay Dragons early years from the 1950s, before the black revolution had begun, this book takes you on a journey following the forming of the outlaw black biker culture . The East Bay Dragons built a reputation as family men who owned homes, cars and had steady jobs, supported each other with skill-networking and contributed to regular charity drives, love runs, Thanksgiving-turkey donations, and Christmas family-adoption and gift-giving, as well as yearly Labor Day weekend fundraisers. MC Raw, a Fresno-based rapper, calls a motorcycle a missile with handlebars. Watts-based construction worker Blackie says being on a Harley is like having sex. And G-14 Classified, who rode his Suzuki Boulevard 1500 from Sacramento, calls riding a bike almost like a low-level flying. Reid said the Dragons have held events at the Oakland Zoo and never faced complaints except about the noise of their motorcycles. It was the first all-black motorcycle club in the Bay Area and one of the first in the country, emerging at a time when a black man riding a motorcycle was seen by some as an inflammatory act. Youre in a brotherhood for life.. New report shows thousands of workers have left downtown San Francisco, California high schooler fatally stabbed in classroom fight, Nostalgic Bay Area chain Caspers Hot Dogs closing Walnut Creek restaurant. Harper was dismayed, he said, until Tobie Gene Levingston showed up and told him to come by his garage where they would put it back together. In fact, everyone in the club had a job and skills they could bring to the table. I dont think any cop has a day off when were in town," Tug Boat says. Kory Graffs Wall of ShameTake us to work with you and help us pass the time. They nevertheless built up a positive reputation in the neighborhood, supporting the Oakland area while giving voice to the oppressed during a time before the civil rights movement really took off. He goes by Prez to club members. The club was recognized in a city council proclamation on January 8, 2014: "The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club, when dealing with a community often battling negativity and violence, have remained a symbol of positive community activism, and pride within Oakland and within the African American community.". The fairgrounds CFO, Mike Ioakimedes, said he has not yet reviewed the suit with his attorney and declined to comment. The clubs are grilling food, lounging by the swimming pool and checking out each others rides. The East Bay Dragons are an incredible organization, Reid said. Shot out to Tobie, Pac-Man and Tugboat! The suit is still in its early stages. The back of Joe's vest is emblazoned in the original East Bay Dragons MC patch and surrounded by red rhinestones. When we're at the family bar, it looks different than it does in Marin, where it's very crisp. The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club has gunned its Harleys through the meanest streets of Oakland, California, since the 1950s. The Dragons were founded in the 1950s as a car club, but switched over to motorcycles in 1959. A lot of the members attended weekend rallies to show off their bikes and to listen to speeches given by prominent Black Power movement leaders of the day. Many of the riders here are affiliated with clubs, like Los Angeles Divided Time and Chosen Few, Sacramentos Aftermath and Fresnos Unknown Riders. [5], Prior to the East Bay Dragons, the only other black outlaw motorcycle club in the Bay Area was the now defunct Fillmore based Frisco Rattlers.[6][7]. Carry it on.. The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club has gunned its Harleys through the meanest streets of Oakland, Calif., since the 1950s. The bakerys website says its founder, Kim Cloud, is proud of that fact because his family benefited from the Panthers free breakfast program as kids. Nate Gartrell covers crime, politics, and corruption in Contra Costa County. French soccer legend dies at 89; scored record 13 goals in 1958 World Cup, Obituary: Richard Roth, 83, was former vice mayor of Alameda, Olympic gold medalist Bob Richards dies; was first athlete featured on a Wheaties box, Rapid demise of Dilbert no surprise to some who were watching, Respect the patch: How Oaklands oldest Black motorcycle club survived nearly 60 years. Tobie Gene Levingston, founder and president of the East Bay Dragons motorcycle club, is seen in a February 2004 book signing for his classic memoir "Soul on Bikes: The East Bay Dragons MC and . via East Bay Dragons/Flickr. en. I seen a lot of good men, I mean a whole bunch of them, get hooked on that s---" Levingston recalls. Related Articles Real-life California is packed with motorcycle clubs, from the notorious Hells Angels (founded in Fontana, with its best-known chapter in Oakland) to the hundreds of clubs that crisscross the state on bikes today. The two bottom patches displayed on their cuts showing their territory are one rectangular patch with "Oakland" in red text over a yellow background above another rectangular patch with "California" in red text over a yellow background. The East Bay Dragons have a record of service to the community and have supported many local charitable organizations. Before Rosa Parks took her historic bus ride and before Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Huey P. Newton and the Black Panthers stood bravely for equal rights, the East Bay Dragons MC risked life and limb during the days when it was a revolutionary act for a . It was really powerful.. His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. They include riding for breast cancer, AIDS awareness, and violence awareness. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 29: East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club members get ready for a group photo before their meeting at the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. All the original founding members had to buy used bikes. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! The fairgrounds CFO, Mike Ioakimedes, said he has not yet reviewed the suit with his attorney and declined to comment. The motel is just off Highway 99, and the low din of car traffic from the road is regularly punctuated by roaring motorcycles. Hes had health problems in recent years, including a bout with cancer, so he wasnt able to ride his own Harley to the Halfway Run. US motorcycle brand is stopping manufacturing, Ep 936 Hells Angels A violent price to pay **FULL AUDIO**, Ep 936 Pagans Motorcycle Club Causing Panic in Missouri **FULL AUDIO EPISODE**, Pagans Motorcycle Club Causing Panic in Missouri **Video**, IS THE HARLEY SPORTSTER CONSIDERED A GIRLS MOTORCYCLE **VIDEO**, HERE'S THE TRUTH ABOUT UNCLE SHAGGY & THE INVADERS MC, Pagans Motorcycle Club Causing Panic in Missouri, https://insanethrottleinternational.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/discord-commercial-harley.mp3, https://insanethrottleinternational.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/motorcyclemadhousemayhempromo.mp3. The East Asia Super League's champions week gets under way in Japan on Wednesday, and for the Bay Area Dragons it represents an opportunity to finally put their heartbreaking defeat in the . The #1 Biker News Website Since 2011-Covering up to minute biker news including Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs & Biker News Worldwide. The club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. Bill Hayes. "Riding is sort of like an active form of meditation . (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 29: An East Bay Dragons motorcycle club member known as Slow Motion arrives at the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. We are a group of east bay area D&D adventurers looking to start or join groups of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. According to the lawsuit, the trouble for the planned August 2019 event started when a county employee learned that a member of the Dragons owned Its All Good Bakery in Oakland, located at 5622 Martin Luther King Way, the Black Panthers first headquarters. And Harper has been a member of the club since. Spellman found this locale to be perfect for reminiscing on her childhood, in effect highlighting the profound influence a long-running regional African American motorcycle club, the East Bay Dragons MC, had on her forming identity. After World War II, his family moved to Oakland. Sunday 12 PM - 3:30 PM. The bikes shiny chrome finish stood out against bright paint, each a different color. Opens in a new window or tab. He interviewed two Dragons for an episode in December called Respect the Patch: How Oaklands Oldest Black Motorcycle Club Survived Nearly 60 Years., They literally built the community together, one bike at a time, he said. "Meeting the Poppy character, and if we stayed with her an entire episode just in that environment in Marin, you would just have no idea.". VR EXPERIENCE. "I like the idea of driving across the [Golden Gate] Bridge, she says. In addition to trouble with the Oakland Police Department, at that time the idea of sustaining a car club became difficult. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Only white boys had those types of bikes back then, and not in a motorcycle set. Ordering Hours. Visit the #1 Biker News Channel on YouTube and get straight up commentary on whats happening in the biker scene. The team was established under the agreement of the Hong Kong . Scroll to Continue. He is part of East Bay Dragons, an all-black and all-male Harley Davidson riding motorcycle club in Oakland, California. In East Oakland, the biker club is beloved, said Councilman Larry Reid, who said the groups clubhouse in his district on International Boulevard has produced food distribution on Thanksgivings and toy drives during Christmas. The club regularly participates in charity rides, holds block parties and donates supplies to schools. said the East Bay Dragons, which is an African-American motorcycle club, is well-liked in the neighborhood because "we give to the community" by sponsoring Christmas parties, delivering . The East Bay Dragons were founded by Tobie Gene Levingston in 1959. The East Bay Dragons. The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club of Oakland, California, started in the 1950s as a car club. Malone has been a member for 30 years and the club is turning 60 this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. They nevertheless built up a positive reputation in the . That conflicted bond she has with her father and his crew makes this story component resonate. Instead, the event was canceled at the last minute, after the Dragons had spent thousands in fees and planning. That reputation made Levingstons club a pillar of cycling culture, regularly paid tribute to in fictionalized references, and by celebrities like former Tonight Show host Jay Leno, who shared a video clip of a recent clubhouse visit last week for his Jay Lenos Garage CNBC show. According to the suit, all of this was a problem for the employee, who allegedly remarked that the Black Panthers were the greatest threat to the internal security of the country, and started working to cancel the Dragons event. All I say: Dont you get your butt outta here and get in and get out and jump and run off. all that is interesting Hells Angels' old ladies (girlfriends) sit during a rest stop on the group's ride from San Bernardino to Bakersfield, California. Everything from Shirts, Hoodies, Embroidered hats and more. EXCLUSIVE: Rockmond Dunbar, the director-producer of the feature film Pastor Brown, has optioned Tobie Gene Levingston's autobiographical book Soul On Bikes: The East Bay Dragons MC And The . The Dragons were originally formed as the Bay Area Chun Yu Phoenixes, a franchise team for the East Asia Super League, representing Greater China. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. It was originally created by Gene's big brother as a way to help keep his younger brothers off the streets and out . The club moved in and out of garages and warehouses before buying a hall in the 8700 block of then-East 14th Street in 1977. Prospective members who are "hangarounds" are referred to by club members as "rookies" while they are being vetted for membership prior to being voted in as full patch members.[17]. Click To See Our Other Locations Below: Location Address; 1: Double Dragon Chinese Restaurant: East Bay Street (close to Paradise Island Bridge) 2: CLICK HERE if you cant view the gallery in a mobile device. Started in 1959,it was one of the first all-black motorcycle clubs. As a member put it last year in the run-up to the clubs 60th-anniversary celebration, back then young black men could still quickly find themselves getting into trouble if they didnt stay busy, and Levingston thought he and his brothers needed a hobby. I had some brothers, and they was all behind me. As Levingston recalled in his 2004 autobiography, Soul on Bikes, most families in the '50s couldn't afford the luxury of having more than one vehicle. By Nate Gartrell. Insane Throttle Support Club Become a memberNow, Insane Throttle/Motorcycle Madhouse Radio YouTube and AudioDisclaimer, Meet the Insane Throttle Contributing Columnist James Hollywood Macecari, Motorcycle Clubs Riding Clubs and Associations Near Me Index &Listings, Our Policies here at Insane Throttle Publications. Until 1959, most black motorcycle clubs were "Drill Teams" consisting of World War II veterans. The #1 Biker Radio show Motorcycle Madhouse Motorcycle Mayhem hosted by James Hollywood Macecari is on all major platforms, The East Bay Dragons are an incredible organization, Reid said. Originally from Los Angeles, Session first came to the East Bay in 1982 when he was stationed at Alameda's naval base. VALLEJO The East Bay Dragons, the first all-Black motorcycle club to exist in the Bay Area, has filed a federal lawsuit against Solano County alleging that a county employee concocted a reason . (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 29: East Bay Dragons motorcycle club member Ray Nelson points out at a wall with nicknames of late club members at the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. So it's just like, you know, money Marin and then you go over [the Bay Bridge] and it's funkier, more bluesy Oakland. Recognizing The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club, CHOSEN FEW & EAST BAY DRAGONS | AMERICAS BLACK BIKER SET REVISITED, Oakland City Council to Commemorate Founding of Historic East Bay Biker Club, Oakland motorcycle club member shot to death, East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club: On the Road for 55 Years, East Bay Dragons motorcycle club founder dies, Meet the East Bay Dragons, the oldest Black motorcycle club in the West. Because its made in America and they keep jobs here, Levingston explains. Theres gridlock, with motorcycles of every color glistening in the sun and blasting music. Parnells father Leander Shreve Scoville, played by This Is Us star Ron Cephas Jones, is a former Black Panther who has put all his energy into family both his biological one as well as his thriving biker community which, according to Spellman, is directly inspired by the East Bay Dragons. 2,657 were here. The club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. [11] However, they would lose to the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 43. Crime and Public Safety | Rasheed is a member of the East Bay Dragons. Is just off Highway 99, and they keep jobs here, Levingston explains of World War veterans!, with motorcycles of every color glistening in the Biker scene Dragons were founded by Tobie Gene Levingston in,. Of Oakland, Calif., since the 1950s fact, everyone in the Biker scene, hats! 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