Formed in 1959, the Dragons hail from Oakland, CA, and still ride to this day. Chosen Few Motorcycle Club- Photography by Gold Mustache Photography, Elliot M. Gold. 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. Based in Hong Kong, the team is meant to represent the Greater China region. #jaylenoTobie Gene Levingston has been the president of the #EastBayDragons ever since he started the club in 1959! The East Bay Dragons MC. You wear out man! But hes still there. Tech, restaurant, logistics layoffs trigger more than 300 Bay Area job cuts, Shooting in Oakland hotel parking lot puts man in critical condition, East Bay lawmaker blasts open sore at BART, resigns from Senate committee, Skygazers will have a great view Wednesday of two planets that look like they are almost touching, Antioch: Homicide suspect arrested in Brentwood home, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. By Nate Gartrell. They are known to form lifelong bonds with their owners. Select Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs Option to Add to Your Cart (4) 10 oz. The East Bay Dragons started out in Oakland in the 1950s and only allows African American members to join. (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. The club was originally started as a car club byTobie Gene Levingston, who wrote a bookSoul on Bikes: The East Bay Dragons MC and the Black Biker Set along with Keith and Kent Zimmerman. 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. At the time, West Oaklands Seventh Street corridor was still a bustling commercial strip, dotted with jazz clubs and black-owned businesses buzzing with customers from Oaklands Army base. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? 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. Instead of getting a passing look at Sutters all-black biker gang, Truth Be Told gives audiences a nuanced understanding of the familial connection this motorcycle club has with Parnell. All the original founding members had to buy used bikes. These drill teams performed group routines consisting of stunts and challenging maneuvers weaving in and out of cones and between other motorcyclists. That includes dozens of African-American groups, like Oaklands East Bay Dragons. "Riding is sort of like an active form of meditation . Joe Louis Levingston would later add East Bay to the name, creating the green dragon logo with red lettering set atop a gold backdrop. Crime and Public Safety | California and motorcycles go way back: from Marlon Brandos star turn as an outlaw biker in 1953s "The Wild One" to the current TV hit "Sons of Anarchy," set in the fictional town of Charming, California. 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. During the 1940s and 1950s, the center patch and logo patch of most motorcycle clubs were circular or oval in shape whereas for car clubs, they were square or rectangular shaped. By 1959, the East Bay Dragons had developed a reputation among Oakland Police Department for their numerous melees and brawls with local street gangs from East and West Oakland. A lot, to be honest. Listen to the Hollywood and ChinaDoll Show at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hollywood-china-doll-show/id1533228385CHECK OUT #ROCKON CLOTHING! $45.00. 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. Related Motorcycle Madhouse Shorts Pride, Determination and Loyalty in ones self is so important whether you want to be a good biker or just want to succeed in Life. [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]. Part of Parnells character is rooted in her fathers life. Opens in a new window or tab. The club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Justice UPDATE: The former national president of the Pagans was sentenced Thursday to a plea-bargained 33 months in federal prison for having a gun while returning home through New Jersey from a party in Pennsylvania. There, they meet a number . Members of The East Bay Dragons must own and ride a Harley Davidson motorcycle. East Bay Rats MC. 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. 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 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. East Bay Dragons President Tobie Gene Levingston at the group's clubhouse in East Oakland. 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. The club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland in 1959. 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." He is a graduate of Bowie State University in Maryland with a BS degree in communications. For Tug Boat, the gathering represents unity. 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. [1] Both the Phoenixes and the P. League+ champions of Taiwan were designated by the EASL as Greater China's representatives. Lodi Motorcycle Club. 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: 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. Three Bay Area men, including justice reform activist, plead guilty in Norteo RICO murder case, Californias hardest to book campground isnt in a famous park. (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. 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. How much snow did Tahoe get? 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. Hong Kong was made as the home venue of the Phoenixes. It hosts annual turkey giveaways for Thanksgiving and adopts several families for Christmas, buying gifts and delivering them in person on Christmas Eve. What does Spellman know? But it wasnt just the bikes, he said. 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. Donate. The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and seven members have failed to have the attempt to seize three of their clubhouses thrown out of court. They include riding for breast cancer, AIDS awareness, and violence awareness. 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. !huge lineup of merchandise. [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. 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. If you haven't heard about them, listen to this episode of East Bay Yesterday. 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. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 29: East Bay Dragons motorcycle club member Ray Nelson shows the first painting of the club at the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. 2,657 were here. Long time friend Sonny Barger[4] suggested he switch the club from a car club to a motorcycle club because bikes were more discreet than cars, easier to maintain and cheaper to work on. If you ride -- and youre serious about riding -- youre not worried about bills. The club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. The turning point for the car club came following an incident at a local party at the Snow Building, a rented hall by the Oakland Zoo, adjacent to the Grass Valley neighborhood of the Oakland Hills. What we're about. There was just one problem: the cars. 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. Youre in a brotherhood for life.. packs - $55.00 (16) 10 oz. If you have a group and need a player please post it here. A handful of all-female clubs, like Comptons Red Pearls, also make the trip to Fresno. Going up North with a story about a Hells Angels Motorcycle Club member. The music and the soundtrack are different just to kind of show all the facets of this one character with Octavia.". Bill Hayes, Jim Quattlebaum, Dave Nichols. The team was established under the agreement of the Hong Kong . Unlike most motorcycle clubs, the East Bay Dragons do not have a "prospect" or "probation" period for prospective members. 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. East Bay Dragons founder Tobie Levingston in 2012: I'm really honored I got to meet him. 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 . May he rest and ride in peace., Mr. Levingston built the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club on the values of community, family, and the tight bonds of brotherhood. Theyd only talk about the good things they do and how they are positive role models for our children.. 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. Toby Gene and Joe Louis Levingston both had jobs, as well as cars and houses and families, he said. Unlike many outlaw motorcycle clubs, the East Bay Dragons do not claim a state as territory by wearing a bottom "rocker". 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 to cancel a planned club event at the fairgrounds after hearing that one of its members had associations with the Black Panthers. Its why Nelson knows the club will endure for another 60 years. We all enjoy one thing, and thats riding motorcycles," he says. Originally from Los Angeles, Session first came to the East Bay in 1982 when he was stationed at Alameda's naval base. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) These are the cool names for motorcycle clubs you can use: Mustang Motorcycles. All I say: Dont you get your butt outta here and get in and get out and jump and run off. Now in its 60th year of existence, the East Bay Dragons are one of America's first-ever all-black motorcycle clubs. Buy It Now +$13.50 shipping. . 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. The club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. Aaron Pruner is a freelance journalist based in Los Angeles. Crime and Public Safety | The East Bay Dragons had already established a strong presence within communities in East Oakland. 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. "I grew up with the same exact story, and there were the same black biker movements going on," he revealed. Privacy Policy | Big E.B. [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]. 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