If you have a group and need a player please post it here. He has worked as an online coordinator and, before that, a copy editor and page designer for Bay Area-based newspapers and magazines. Our brothers, the East Bay Dragons, would be honored and enshrined forever in the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC as one of the 1st all Black Biker Clubs in American history; photographed in front of another Oakland BBQ restaurant. Donate. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 29: A special and designed booth for East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club members is featured at the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club of Oakland, California, started in the 1950s as a car club. A hardtail Honda CB750 with a home-made springer front end and a crude, coffin-shaped tank, it was festooned with a hand-painted mural of a nude woman, resplendent in giant Afro and gold hoop earrings, picking . (South Bay Dragons is a fictional role playing Motorcycle Club in the world of GTA inspired by one of the oldest black based Motorcycle Clubs, the East Bay Dragons MC from Oakland California. In 1959, Tobie Gene organized the Dragons, a loosely knit club for black men. Rasheed is a member of the East Bay Dragons. 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. More than 50 made the trip to Fresno, including Levingston. . East Oakland was full of families who worked in the nearby metal foundries and packing plants, and the Levingston family settled in Brookfield Village. The Black Panthers and The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club were sometimes mistaken for each other by law enforcement. "You look forward to it all year. The group was actually one of the first of its kind. 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. The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club has gunned its Harleys through the meanest streets of Oakland, California, since the 1950s. A man and a woman are dead after a Sunday night shooting near the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club that left another woman hospitalized with major injuries. Bob Stokstad Photo. Octavia Spencer in Truth Be Told, now streaming on Apple TV+. "My dad had a little bodega restaurant in Paterson, New Jersey, and he would keep it open because there was a bar across the street where they all would congregate and celebrate. I love the East Bay Dragons Youre in a brotherhood for life.. Though industrial jobs were plentiful, young black men could still quickly find themselves getting into trouble if they didnt stay busy, Harper said. [16], Since its inception and official establishing as a motorcycle club, the East Bay Dragons have no desire to establish multiple chapters in or outside of California, have only one chapter, and have remained at the same clubhouse in East Oakland where they have been based for over 45 years. Soul on Bikes: The East Bay Dragons MC and the Black Biker Set by Tobie Levingston, Keith Zimmerman, Kent Zimmerman and forward by Ralph "Sonny" Barger. He is an Oakland treasure that will be sorely missed. They've also been bred to produce a variety of beautiful patterns and colors. These drill teams performed group routines consisting of stunts and challenging maneuvers weaving in and out of cones and between other motorcyclists. Ripper Magazine Vol.15 Old School Chopper Motorcycle Japan Book East Bay Dragons. The club was originally started as a car club by Tobie Gene Levingston, who wrote a book Soul on Bikes: The East Bay Dragons MC and the Black Biker Set along with Keith and Kent Zimmerman. Instead, the event was canceled at the last minute, after the Dragons had spent thousands in fees and planning. They nevertheless built up a positive reputation in the . The Dragons' other business manager goes by the name "Tug Boat." The suit, filed last June, claims that the Dragons planned a 60th anniversary event at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo that was to be attended by at least 3,800 people and would have featured an impressive lineup of music and comedy. In 2006 Alex Abramovich came across the name Trevor Latham in a high-school alumni note: "I moved to California, became a bouncer, and started a motorcycle club." "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.". He is a real estate agent with over 30 years of experience in Oakland. While work remained relatively plentiful in post-war Oaklands factories and foundries, Levingston initially began a car club as a way to help keep his family out of harms way. A year later, they switched to motorcycles, which were cheaper, more accessible and didnt draw as much attention from the police, Tobie Gene Levingston wrote. So they were like all these tough biker guys and everything else, with all these kids around and it was a big Bay Area event and they were kind of the backdrop of my childhood.". Soak in the retro soil & oil biker shots from the Chosen Few, and East Bay Dragons motorcycle clubs In 1959, the Chosen Few MC officially formed out in LA on the cusp of the chaotic 60s. Theres gridlock, with motorcycles of every color glistening in the sun and blasting music. Brown has been a member for 30 years and the club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. Double Dragon Menu. #jaylenoTobie Gene Levingston has been the president of the #EastBayDragons ever since he started the club in 1959! They are known to form lifelong bonds with their owners. Visit the #1 Biker News Channel on YouTube and get straight up commentary on whats happening in the biker scene. The East Bay Dragons. It gave these guys a sense of accomplishment and something they could really bond over.. Michael Dregni, Hunter S. (CON) Thompson, Sonny Barger, Evel Knievel, Jean Davidson, Arlen Ness MotorBooks International, 7 Feb 2010, "East Bay Community Remembers Trailblazing Founder of All-Black Motorcycle Club", "CHOSEN FEW & EAST BAY DRAGONS - AMERICA'S BLACK BIKER SET REVISITED", "Riding with LA motorcycle club 'The Defiant Ones', "Women as Property - and Other Issues - in New Black Motorcycle Club Doc, 'Outcast Forever' (Available on VOD)", "The Black Panthers and the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club - Quarto Drives", "Golden State Warriors Celebrate NBA Championship with "Dub Nation" - Oakland Post", "The Rise and Fall of a Motorcycle Club Icon Turned Coke Trafficker", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=East_Bay_Dragons&oldid=1106240115, This page was last edited on 23 August 2022, at 19:58. Select Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs Option to Add to Your Cart (4) 10 oz. 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. The Dragons were founded in the 1950s as a car club, but switched over to motorcycles in 1959. Stay in touch. In fact, everyone in the club had a job and skills they could bring to the table. Every Labor Day Weekend they host annual block parties in September at their clubhouse using proceeds to donate school supplies and gift certificates to families of East Oakland to purchase children's school clothes and supplies. You know, thats not your focus, mentally. The bikes shiny chrome finish stood out against bright paint, each a different color. So I started a car club to work on old cars and get their mind occupied working on cars.. 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. This insidious belief of EBDs threat traveled all the way to Oakland and with the help of the Oakland Police Department, and at the conclusion of the 60th anniversary celebration, on September 2, 2019, the EBD were surrounded by Oakland Police Department officers due to racist motives as they were enjoying themselves at Level 13 in Oakland, the civil complaint says. Many club members could only have access to the family car either during the weekends or late at night. East Asia Super League's (EASL) founding mission is to create Asia's premier basketball league, while elevating the sport in the region. RELATED:Oakland from 1900 to now: See how the city has changed, "I remember them fondly as a little girl because they used to have this black family day picnic every year up in Nolan Park, and that was huge," Spellman explained. And thats why they were so tight. The team was established under the agreement of the Hong Kong . As a result of this, the suit alleges, fairgrounds staff invented the ruse that there was a credible threat to the safety of the event, but there was no credible threat at all.. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. Because its made in America and they keep jobs here, Levingston explains. During the Christmas season, they sponsor a toy drive and deliver toys to Oakland children on their bikes, while dressing up as Santa Claus. For Jones, playing the biker and bar owner not only provided him a fully developed character to sink his teeth into something he refers to as "a dream role" the subject matter helped him tap into his own New Jersey upbringing. The East Bay Dragons formed in 1959, during a time when the image of a black man riding a motorcycle could provoke a strong reaction. (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. Mr. 1 review of East Bay Dragons "These guys are living legends and a great bunch to hang around with, be sure to show up whenever they have an event or if you can catch up with them peeling rubber down the mean streets of East Oakland. Double Dragon Chinese Restaurant - East Bay. Or, contact the owner Shadrick, Melvin of the EAST BAY DRAGONS MC OAKLAND CALIFORNIA trademark by filing a request to communicate with the Legal . Every November they hold an annual turkey drive for Thanksgiving, providing turkeys and other food staples for families in need. #BIKERNEWS #EASTBAYDRAGONS #HELLSANGELSGet your daily biker news and everything going on in the scene http://www.harleyliberty.comEnough Already! Tobie Gene Levingston, who founded the East Bay Dragons as the Bay Area's first all-Black motorcycle club and one of the nation's first, died early Tuesday of natural causes. [18], The One Percenter Encyclopedia: The World of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs from Abyss Ghosts to Zombies Elite. An undated photo of the East Bay Dragons. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 29: East Bay Dragons motorcycle club member Charles Darth Jones, left, chats with friends Kym Heedley, center, and DeeDee Dejan at the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. A member of a car club tinkering and drag-racing . Bill Hayes. 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. [12], Oakland rapper Richie Rich is a long-standing member of the East Bay Dragons and has featured the club in many of his music videos.[13][14]. And Tobie Gene Levingston thought he and his brothers needed a hobby. The son of sharecroppers moved from Louisiana to Oakland and wanted something to keep his siblings busy. From always feeding the community and supporting generations of East Oaklanders, to hosting my very first Budget Town Hall as Mayor and proudly escorting Hammer and me in Warriors victory parades, the East Bay Dragons have been a constant source of service and pride for Oakland, Schaaf said in part. The club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. Is the vulgar anti-Tesla sign on my neighbors truck illegal? As they tell it "The 60s was a hell of a time.With the Civil Rights Movement, The Viet Nam War, Flower Power . The Rock Machine gang has a lengthy history overseas but police said the group had only been active several months. Internet personality Yo Pesci receives seven year sentence after flashing firearms on social media, Gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, Jury finds Bay Area man guilty of annoying or molesting a child, Convicted murderer charged in 1980 cold case slaying of woman found in rural Solano County. 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. With The Path behind him, Dunbar says he's considering his next move, including directing a project about the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club, a familiar subject given the years he spent on FX . This year marks the Dragons 55th year as a motorcycle club, and they enjoy elder statesman status among the black motorcycle set. It was really powerful.. Going up North with a story about a Hells Angels Motorcycle Club member. Wheels of Soul MC Book - Soul on Bikes: The East Bay Dragons MC and the Black Biker Set by Tobie Levingston, Keith Zimmerman, Kent Zimmerman and forward by Ralph "Sonny" Barger. United Bikers Clubhouse. All I say: Dont you get your butt outta here and get in and get out and jump and run off. Levingston and his four brothers were born in Louisiana to a sharecropper father who made the migration West, along with thousands of other black American families, in the 1950s. [7][8][9] In May 2022, former NBL coach and incumbent Australia Boomers head coach Brian Goorjian was announced as the team's first head coach. Kory Graffs Wall of ShameTake us to work with you and help us pass the time. Combining the best clubs, from the best leagues, with best-in-class production values, EASL . They called themselves the East Bay Dragons and even stuck plates with their logo in the rear windows. Wilson has been a member for 21 years and the club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. The suit, filed last June, claims that the Dragons planned a 60th anniversary event at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo that was to be attended by at least 3,800 people and would have featured an impressive lineup of music and comedy. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? Thats the reason I ride the Harley Davidson.. "The East Bay Dragons have been riding strong in Oakland since 1959, making them the oldest all-Black club in America," says Norman in Season 3, Episode 2. Four Dragons rode by on matching black-framed Harley Davidson choppers so called because they had been stripped of So it's just like, you know, money Marin and then you go over [the Bay Bridge] and it's funkier, more bluesy Oakland. 1965. all that is interesting Members of the East Bay Dragons, one of the first all-black . This was far more affordable as new bikes cost around $500 yet a used Harley Davidson could be bought for as little as $30. Levingston built the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club on the values of community, family, and the tight bonds of brotherhood. the club, which this weekend celebrated its 60th year, has since become one of Oaklands most iconic cultural exports, one recognized around the world. OAKLAND Tobie Gene Levingston, who founded the East Bay Dragons as the Bay Area's first all-Black motorcycle club and one of the nation's first, died Tuesday, July 7 of natural causes. If you came out here and talked to folks, no one is going to say anything negative about the East Bay Dragons, Reid said. The East Bay Dragons were founded by Tobie Gene Levingston in 1959. The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club has gunned its Harleys through the meanest streets of Oakland, California, since the 1950s. 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. These are the cool names for motorcycle clubs you can use: Mustang Motorcycles. Oakland was all rock n roll and chromed-out cars at the time, Tobie Gene Levingston wrote in his memoir, Soul on Bikes: The East Bay Dragons MC and the Black Biker Set. So, he decided to start a car club, and the Dragons were born. The words "East Bay" were added by member Joe Louis, signifying their region of origin. The East Bay Dragons formed in 1959, during a time when the image of a black man riding a motorcycle could provoke a strong reaction. The bakerys website says its founder, Kim Clark, is proud of that fact because his family benefited from the Panthers free breakfast program as kids. 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