We all enjoy one thing, and thats riding motorcycles," he says. Toby Gene and Joe Louis Levingston both had jobs, as well as cars and houses and families, he said. The son of sharecroppers moved from Louisiana to Oakland and wanted something to keep his siblings busy. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. VR EXPERIENCE. 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. Wheels of Soul MC Book Soul On Bikes The East Bay Dragons and the Black Biker Set Read More: By Erin Baldassari OAKLAND Willie Harper still remembers the first time he saw the East Bay Dragons then an emerging motorcycle club roll through the streets of West Oakland. The Black Panthers and The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club were sometimes mistaken for each other by law enforcement. The "Pagan's Motorcycle Club" has increased membership in New Jersey and Pennsylvania in recent years, law enforcement authorities say. Both the Phoenixes and the P. League+ champions of Taiwan were designated by the EASL as Greater China's representatives.. Rasheed is a member of the East Bay Dragons. Because its made in America and they keep jobs here, Levingston explains. I aint never gonna get rid of my bike, man., Many Dragons are decades younger than Levingston -- a few are in their 20s -- and he gives them all the same message: I want yall to keep it going on when Im gone. 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. When we're at the family bar, it looks different than it does in Marin, where it's very crisp. I remember staying up late making hamburgers and hot dogs for these cats into the wee hours of the morning to feed these guys after they would come from the club.". He is a graduate of Bowie State University in Maryland with a BS degree in communications. #jaylenoTobie Gene Levingston has been the president of the #EastBayDragons ever since he started the club in 1959! Four Dragons rode by on matching black-framed Harley Davidson choppers so called because they had been stripped of any unnecessary parts, brought down to the bare frame with only the tank, headlight and motor. [1] Both the Phoenixes and the P. League+ champions of Taiwan were designated by the EASL as Greater China's representatives. It hosts annual turkey giveaways for Thanksgiving and adopts several families for Christmas, buying gifts and delivering them in person on Christmas Eve. The East Bay Dragons turned 60, and brought all the bikes out. 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. "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.". In 1959, Tobie Gene organized the Dragons, a loosely knit club for black men. Select Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs Option to Add to Your Cart (4) 10 oz. I dont think any cop has a day off when were in town," Tug Boat says. May he rest and ride in peace. East Bay Dragons motorcycle club member Jack "The Mack" Wilson poses for a photo at the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. East Bay Dragons founder Tobie Levingston in 2012: I'm really honored I got to meet him. The clubs name and hometown are in bright red stitching: "East Bay Dragons OAKLAND CALIFORNIA. Its why Nelson knows the club will endure for another 60 years. The club is turning 60 this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland in 1959. The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club has gunned their Harleys through the meanest streets of Oakland, California, since the 1950s. Topics Selection,Research, Editing, Correction Policy and Ethics, Hells Angels Death being treated as a homicide, Harley-Davidson is pulling out of India the worlds biggest motorcycle market. packs - $29.00 (8) 10 oz. (Pendarvis Harshaw) A ll summer, the thought of moving away has been a subtle buzz in the background of the memories I've been creating. 5.0 out of 5 stars. Now the club is suing to recoup those funds, which includes cash to pay for the planned list of featured rappers, singers, and comedian:Whodini, Too Short, Doug E Fresh, Richie Rich, Dru Down, Tony Tone Toni, and Mark Curry, according to the civil complaint. History As a car club. As her posh lifestyle and public reputation get threatened, demons from Parnells past bubble up, leading Parnell to venture to her old Oakland stomping grounds. 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. How much snow did Tahoe get? 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. via East Bay Dragons/Flickr. 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. 2,671 were here. When you get the patch, it means youre a real Dragon. Due to the support both organizations had for each other, some of the Black Panthers eventually became members of the East Bay Dragons after the Black Panthers disbanded. It was around 1960. We are a group of east bay area D&D adventurers looking to start or join groups of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. "Soul on Bikes," a book written by East Bay Dragons' founding member Tobie Levingston, provided insight for both Spellman and Cephas Jones, who acknowledge their shared memories of the club as all positive. 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 team was established under the agreement of the Hong Kong . (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. Its the traffic, its the people youre riding with.. He is an Oakland treasure that will be sorely missed. He is survived by his wife Ernestine, his three brothers Jonas, Joe Louis and Vic, and his three daughters Billie Simmons, Debrah Giles and Angela Killingsworth. 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. East Bay Dragons. In front of his hotel room, Ali Ar Rasheed takes in the scene. The clubs are grilling food, lounging by the swimming pool and checking out each others rides. "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. View more on Amazon (link opens in a new tab). Many of the riders here are affiliated with clubs, like Los Angeles Divided Time and Chosen Few, Sacramentos Aftermath and Fresnos Unknown Riders. For Tug Boat, the gathering represents unity. The music and the soundtrack are different just to kind of show all the facets of this one character with Octavia.". Other makes of motorcycles are not allowed. They believe "you are either a member of the club or not, no in between". 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. Kurt Sutter has stated that the inspiration for the fictional motorcycle club The Grim Bastards, portrayed by an authentic Black American MC called 1DOWNMC; featured in the television show Sons of Anarchy was loosely based on the East Bay Dragons and their relationship with the Hells Angels that surpassed racial barriers during the 1960s and 1970s. They've also been bred to produce a variety of beautiful patterns and colors. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? "I grew up with the same exact story, and there were the same black biker movements going on," he revealed. Going up North with a story about a Hells Angels Motorcycle Club member. The #1 Biker News Website Since 2011-Covering up to minute biker news including Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs & Biker News Worldwide. The motorcycles they fly around the state on are bigger and brighter than the ones the Dragons rode through Oakland in the 1950s. [11], The East Bay Dragons were featured in the 2015 victory parade through downtown Oakland commemorating the 2015 NBA Championship of the Golden State Warriors. The Black Panthers earliest headquarters was just a few blocks from the Dragons clubhouse. 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.". I wasn't a BeyHive member. Levingston built the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club on the values of community, family, and the tight bonds of brotherhood. It sits on a bright yellow square with a green dragon and red lettering of the club's name, underscored by the word "Oakland.". Scott Adams faces consequence culture as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Rapid demise of Dilbert no surprise to some who were watching, Elon Musk tweets support for Dilbert creator Scott Adams after racist tirade. He will be interred immediately after at Rolling Hills Memorial Park, 4100 Hilltop Drive, in Richmond. Unlike most motorcycle clubs, the East Bay Dragons do not have a "prospect" or "probation" period for prospective members. He goes by Prez to club members. 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(Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group). And they ride only Harley-Davidsons. Part of Parnells character is rooted in her fathers life. These drill teams performed group routines consisting of stunts and challenging maneuvers weaving in and out of cones and between other motorcyclists. 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 club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. 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. In 1959, and even well into the sixties, although there were two Harley Davidson dealerships in Oakland, no dealership in the Bay Area would sell bikes to black customers. 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. 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 Herm Top Secret Malone seats in motorcycle outside the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. Elon Musk tweets support for Dilbert creator Scott Adams after racist tirade "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. 2,657 were here. S tarted in 1959, it was one of the first all-black motorcycle clubs. Or, contact the owner Shadrick, Melvin of the EAST BAY DRAGONS MC OAKLAND CALIFORNIA trademark by filing a request to communicate with the Legal . The toughest moments for Levingston and the Dragons came in the 1980s, as crack ripped through East Oakland. You know its like an old car, he says. 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 . The suit is still in its early stages. The #1 Biker News Website Since 2011-Covering up to minute biker news including Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs & Biker News Worldwide. [10], The Bay Area Dragons reached the 202223 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals, becoming the fourth guest team to reach the last stage of a PBA competition. . Now in its 60th year of existence, the East Bay Dragons are one of America's first-ever all-black motorcycle clubs. That includes dozens of African-American groups, like Oaklands East Bay Dragons. Instead, the event was canceled at the last minute, after the Dragons had spent thousands in fees and planning. East Asia Super League's (EASL) founding mission is to create Asia's premier basketball league, while elevating the sport in the region. East Bay Dragons President Tobie Gene Levingston at the group's clubhouse in East Oakland. 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. 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. The East Bay Dragons MC started in 1959 to become an African -American motorcycle club riding. The insignia is a large square patch featuring the club name in red text placed above the logo of a green dragon over a yellow background. pic.twitter.com/hDBvuGieca, Jay Leno's Garage (@LenosGarage) July 1, 2020. He was 86. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 29: East Bay Dragons motorcycle club member Jack The Mack Wilson poses for a photo at the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. Nelson is cousin of cofounder and EBD President Tobie Livingston. After World War II, his family moved to Oakland. en. Incident at Iowa Biker Gathering making the news. If you have a group and need a player please post it here. The group was actually one of the first of its kind. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. And Harper has been a member of the club since. A lot, to be honest. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 29: East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club members pose for a group photo before their meeting at the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. I enjoy the feeling of the wind, the music and sometimes even solitude.. Recently Jay Leno came to meet the legendary Tobie Gene and the Dragons. h. The club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. 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. This is a carousel. 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. Shot out to Tobie, Pac-Man and Tugboat! We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. 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. 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. 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 . The club is turning 60 this . He looks back fondly on the early days of the Dragons: going to dances in the '50s, and partying with hippies, Hells Angels and Black Panthers in the '60s. In Spring of 1967, East Bay Dragons member Joe Louis opened up Papa Joes Soul Food a few short blocks from the clubhouse. 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. That conflicted bond she has with her father and his crew makes this story component resonate. [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]. All I say: Dont you get your butt outta here and get in and get out and jump and run off. Started in 1959,it was one of the first all-black motorcycle clubs. The motel is just off Highway 99, and the low din of car traffic from the road is regularly punctuated by roaring motorcycles. By Nate Gartrell. 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]. Riding is sort of like an active form of meditation, Rasheed says, smoke rising off the cigar in his hand. Bill Hayes, Jim Quattlebaum, Dave Nichols. Thats the reason I ride the Harley Davidson.. There was just one problem: the cars. East Bay Dragons motorcycle club founder dies, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements. Except where otherwise noted, this content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. [3][4], They entered the 202223 PBA Commissioner's Cup of the Philippine Basketball Association as a guest team. Bill Hayes. [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]. Visit the #1 Biker News Channel on YouTube and get straight up commentary on whats happening in the biker scene. 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. After following the recommendation of Barger, The East Bay Dragons officially became a motorcycle club in 1959. Until 1959, most black motorcycle clubs were "Drill Teams" consisting of World War II veterans. 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Were like family to each other, said Levingston, whos in his 70s. Unlike many outlaw motorcycle clubs, the East Bay Dragons do not claim a state as territory by wearing a bottom "rocker". For Double Dragon Chinese Restaurant, East Bay Street, it is only a 15 min walk over the bridge from Atlantis. 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It gave these guys a sense of accomplishment and something they could really bond over.. It survived because of the deep roots the club has in the community, its focus on family and the tight bonds of brotherhood. The East Bay Dragons - an all-Black motorcycle club -- has been proudly riding along since 1959 and will roll right into the next decade as strong as ever. LLH&R." He is an Oakland treasure that will be sorely missed. Dealers at the time wouldnt sell Harleys to black customers, Levingston wrote, so they would buy them used. If you came out here and talked to folks, no one is going to say anything negative about the East Bay Dragons, Reid said. And thats why they were so tight. The Dragons are an all-male, all-black club. 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. If you came out here and talked to folks, no one is going to say anything negative about the East Bay Dragons, Reid said. George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. What does Spellman know? 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 . (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. Harper, the third longest-serving member of the Dragons, first showed up at the groups clubhouse, which was then across the street from a barbecue restaurant where the members used to hang, with a Honda before being told to come back with a Harley. 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