During the Christmas season, they sponsor a toy drive and deliver toys to Oakland children on their bikes, while dressing up as Santa Claus. A historical photo of the East Bay Dragons. 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.". (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. pic.twitter.com/hDBvuGieca, Jay Leno's Garage (@LenosGarage) July 1, 2020. While Rosa Parks took her historic bus ride, 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 black man . (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 29: Memorabilia of the East Bay Dragons decorate the walls at the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. 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 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. They called themselves the East Bay Dragons and even stuck plates with their logo in the rear windows. [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. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. Their founder, Tobie Gene Levingston, remained president until hisdeath last year. 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. I dont think any cop has a day off when were in town," Tug Boat says. The East Bay Dragons. How Oakland's first African-American motorcycle club helped inspire a new TV show, MediaNews Group/The Mercury News/MediaNews Group via Getty Images, One of the largest movie theaters in SF to close permanently, Restaurant chain slated to close site at Bay Area mall, 'Zero visibility' conditions: All roads to Tahoe are closed, Grapevine closed indefinitely due to heavy snow and ice, Plan to bring bullet train from LA to Vegas is underway, Avalanche slams into Tahoe apartment building amid blizzard, What it looks like inside Coit Towers former apartment, Report: Matthew McConaughey has a massive Salesforce paycheck, Graupel falls on Disneyland, shocks guests, Hundreds of thousands of workers have abandoned downtown SF, Tahoe's snowfall totals are on track to break records, Popular yet divisive fast food chain coming to this Bay Area town, Oakland from 1900 to now: See how the city has changed, BJs Restaurant to permanently close Bay Area mall location, Snow, graupel fall on Los Angeles and Disneyland during California storm, Grapevine closed indefinitely due to snow and ice, authorities say. 3 of 8 4 of 8 Members of the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club mourn the killing of their brother Hassan Sayyid also know as Ike, Monday September 28, 2011, at the club in Oakland, Calif. Sayyid . That was 1964. 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. 2,671 were here. We all enjoy one thing, and thats riding motorcycles," he says. [18], The One Percenter Encyclopedia: The World of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs from Abyss Ghosts to Zombies Elite. For now, though, Levingstons going strong at 80, and looking to buy his next Harley: a three-wheeler. The bottom patches displaying their territory are rectangular, not curved. 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." 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. 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. Membership is open to all regardless of race or gender but in game character must be black or latino. 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. VALLEJO, CA 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 to cancel a planned club event at the fairgrounds after hearing that one of its members had associations with the Black Panthers. Donate. Aaron Pruner is a freelance journalist based in Los Angeles. The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club of Oakland, California, started in the 1950s as a car club. Double Dragon Chinese Restaurant - East Bay. 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 . You wear out man! But hes still there. Friends and family members are planning a viewing 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 24 at the East Bay Dragons clubhouse, 8731 International Blvd., in Oakland, and outdoor funeral services at 10 a.m. July 25, at Acts Full Gospel Church, 1034 66th Ave., in Oakland. A member of a car club tinkering and drag-racing . Tobie Gene Levingston was born to a sharecropper father who made the migration west, and eventually settled with his family in Brookfield Village, Oakland (Tribune). Many club members could only have access to the family car either during the weekends or late at night. 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. The East Bay Dragons, LA Defiant Ones and Outcast MC (founded 1969),[9] are the oldest surviving all black motorcycle clubs requiring members to only ride American made motorcycles. Crime and Public Safety | Nelson is cousin of cofounder and EBD President Tobie Livingston. Scroll to Continue. The Rock Machine gang has a lengthy history overseas but police said the group had only been active several months. 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. Norman and former The Walking Dead cast mate and friend, Steven Yeun, visit the clubhouse of the East Bay Dragons during their ride through the California Bay Area. The Dragons were founded in the 1950s as a car club, but switched over to motorcycles in 1959. David DeBolt spent more than a decade reporting on the East Bay, with a focus on Oakland City Hall and the Oakland Police Department, for the Bay Area News Group and The Oaklandside before transitioning to become an editor at the Bay Area News Group overseeing breaking news for The Mercury News and East Bay Times in August 2022. "I grew up with the same exact story, and there were the same black biker movements going on," he revealed. The #1 Biker News Website Since 2011-Covering up to minute biker news including Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs & Biker News Worldwide. Bearded Dragons. They really interact with the young kids out here in East Oakland and with families.. In suit against Solano County, East Bay Dragons, 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, In suit against Solano County, East Bay Dragons motorcycle club allege racism was behind canceled fairgrounds event, Letters: Plethora of problems | Creating AL | Provenance of woke | Teen girls | Public bank. 242-393-5718 Double Dragon Chinese Restaurant, Nassau Double Dragon is a family oriented restaurant dedicated to serving fresh, high quality Dim Sum & Chinese cuisines.All of our Dishes are made-to-order to ensure the freshness of each meal. "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. Opens in a new window or tab. 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. If you are a player and are looking for a new group post it here. Theyd often find them in peoples garages or under houses, Harper said. By Nate Gartrell. The "Pagan's Motorcycle Club" has increased membership in New Jersey and Pennsylvania in recent years, law enforcement authorities say. https://teechip.com/stores/insanethrottlebikernews*** Subscribe to Hollywood \u0026 China Dolls Channel (It's Free )https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXJgel_T8vy6dKmx6vPp2uA Shot out to Tobie, Pac-Man and Tugboat! Is the vulgar anti-Tesla sign on my neighbors truck illegal? Chosen Few Motorcycle Club- Photography by Gold Mustache Photography, Elliot M. Gold. The men riding them had on polished boots and Levi jackets, blue jean pants and matching striped motorcycle helmets, Harper said. packs - $55.00 (16) 10 oz. Instead, the event was canceled at the last minute, after the Dragons had spent thousands in fees and planning. There, they meet a number . One concertgoer was beaten and stabbed to death by a Hells Angels member during the evening. 1 product rating - Ripper Magazine Vol.15 Old School Chopper Motorcycle Japan Book East Bay Dragons. 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.. And for an MC, especially one featuring all black men during a notorious time of civil unrest in America, the representation given to this East Bay community is an uncommon one. Every November they hold an annual turkey drive for Thanksgiving, providing turkeys and other food staples for families in need. It is considered a one-percenter motorcycle club with close ties to the Hells Angels. Its why Nelson knows the club will endure for another 60 years. MotorBooks International, 15 Feb 2009, The Harley-Davidson Reader. Lodi Motorcycle Club. The club is turning 60 this . Brotherhood Motorcycle Shop. 2,657 were here. But the Dragons endured through six decades not because of some outlaw image, said Joe Louis, aka Pappa Joe, Levingston, a founding member and brother to Tobie Gene Levingston, the clubs creator. 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. "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.". The East Bay Dragons MC started in 1959 to become an African -American motorcycle club riding. If you haven't heard about them, listen to this episode of East Bay Yesterday. We are a group of east bay area D&D adventurers looking to start or join groups of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. The East Bay Dragons colors are red and gold. 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. Brothers Motorcycle Club. "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. In addition to trouble with the Oakland Police Department, at that time the idea of sustaining a car club became difficult. Because the East Bay Dragons were founded as a car club, they adopted the square shaped patch which stood with the club even after they switched and became a motorcycle club. History As a car club. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. 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. [5][6] The team also changed their name to the Bay Area Dragons upon joining the PBA, to avoid confusion with the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters. 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. He is a graduate of Bowie State University in Maryland with a BS degree in communications. To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. 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 . Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? 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. When we're at the family bar, it looks different than it does in Marin, where it's very crisp. Levingston built the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club on the values of community, family, and the tight bonds of brotherhood. 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. The Dragons were originally formed as the Bay Area Chun Yu Phoenixes, a franchise team for the East Asia Super League, representing Greater China. The car club did not adopt the official name "Dragons Car Club" until 1958. Brand New. We welcome all levels of players including beginners to experts. He passed in July 2020. Learn more | Because its made in America and they keep jobs here, Levingston explains. 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. Hong Kong was made as the home venue of the Phoenixes. Not that the police get the message. It hosts annual turkey giveaways for Thanksgiving and adopts several families for Christmas, buying gifts and delivering them in person on Christmas Eve. 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. In Fresno, the Dragons team up with two L.A. clubs to rent out a Days Inn. The son of sharecroppers moved from Louisiana to Oakland and wanted something to keep his siblings busy. And, while Truth Be Told examines the impact of media on public opinion and the ripple effect true crime leaves in its wake, the showrunner delves deeper, using the character of Poppy Parnell (played by Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer) as an in-road to pay homage to her real-life hometown, Oakland. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 29: The bar inside the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club used to be a meat counter before the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club moved in this location in 1959 in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. The fairgrounds CFO, Mike Ioakimedes, said he has not yet reviewed the suit with his attorney and declined to comment. Wilson has been a . LocalWiki is a grassroots effort to collect, share and open the worlds local knowledge. The East Bay Dragons MC. Outside of journalism, he doesn't do much. 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. en. And thats why they were so tight. They are known to form lifelong bonds with their owners. It was originally created by Gene's big brother as a way to help keep his younger brothers off the streets and out . For Tug Boat, the gathering represents unity. The toughest moments for Levingston and the Dragons came in the 1980s, as crack ripped through East Oakland. (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. from Japan 10 Richie Rich. Unlike many outlaw motorcycle clubs, the East Bay Dragons do not claim a state as territory by wearing a bottom "rocker". I had some brothers, and they was all behind me. For Double Dragon Chinese Restaurant, East Bay Street, it is only a 15 min walk over the bridge from Atlantis. Sunday 12 PM - 3:30 PM. The East Bay Dragons have a record of service to the community and have supported many local charitable organizations, including riding for breast cancer, AIDS awareness and violence awareness. 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 . 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