George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. 2,671 were here. Along with the Chosen Few MC and Los Angeles Defiant Ones MC,[8] the East Bay Dragons are one of the oldest surviving predominantly black motorcycle clubs founded in California, (the LA Defiant Ones were founded two years earlier in 1957). The East Bay Dragons are an incredible organization, Reid said. 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 bikes shiny chrome finish stood out against bright paint, each a different color. Originally from Los Angeles, Session first came to the East Bay in 1982 when he was stationed at Alameda's naval base. "I like the idea of driving across the [Golden Gate] Bridge, she says. Based in Hong Kong, the team is meant to represent the Greater China region. [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. 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. 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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. 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. WATCH ON PEACOCK. Unlike most motorcycle clubs, the East Bay Dragons do not have a "prospect" or "probation" period for prospective members. Bay Area Dragons Hold Charity Event in Manila in Collaboration with Chinese Embassy of the Philippines. The motel is just off Highway 99, and the low din of car traffic from the road is regularly punctuated by roaring motorcycles. Unlike other African-American motorcycle clubs and drill teams of the late 1940s and 1950s which rode full-dressers, the East Bay Dragons rode choppers. But it wasnt just the bikes, he said. And Harper has been a member of the club since. Eagles Motorcycle Club. 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. Reid said the Dragons have held events at the Oakland Zoo and never faced complaints except about the noise of their motorcycles. 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. Thanks for Staying Tight & Livingston Right!!! The club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland in 1959. Its why Nelson knows the club will endure for another 60 years. The clubs are grilling food, lounging by the swimming pool and checking out each others rides. 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. He is an Oakland treasure that will be sorely missed. 1 product rating - Ripper Magazine Vol.15 Old School Chopper Motorcycle Japan Book East Bay Dragons. "I hope the Dragons ride on for years and years to come." Instead, the event was canceled at the last minute, after the Dragons had spent thousands in fees and planning. At the groups clubhouse in Oakland, pictures of old dances, parties and motorcycle runs cover the walls. 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. He did, only to have several members drive him back home and dismantle the bike in his garage, telling him to come back again when he could put it back together, he said. Is the vulgar anti-Tesla sign on my neighbors truck illegal? Their founder, Tobie Gene Levingston, remained president until his death last July. via East Bay Dragons/Flickr. They include riding for breast cancer, AIDS awareness, and violence awareness. Their founder, Tobie Gene Levingston, remained president until hisdeath last year. Bikers at the Halfway Run all give their own reasons for riding motorcycles. The motorcycles they fly around the state on are bigger and brighter than the ones the Dragons rode through Oakland in the 1950s. 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 . In Truth Be Told, Spellman illustrates the juxtaposition of that kind of East Bay and North Bay life. This is a brand page for the EAST BAY DRAGONS MC OAKLAND CALIFORNIA trademark by Shadrick, Melvin in *****, *****, ***** ****. 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. [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. Buy It Now +$13.50 shipping. The Bay Area Dragons are a professional basketball team in the East Asia Super League. Wade debate of 1973. The club regularly participates in charity rides, holds block parties and donates supplies to schools. h. 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. When we're at the family bar, it looks different than it does in Marin, where it's very crisp. Many club members could only have access to the family car either during the weekends or late at night. Bearded Dragons. . The Black Panthers and The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club were sometimes mistaken for each other by law enforcement. As they tell it "The 60s was a hell of a time.With the Civil Rights Movement, The Viet Nam War, Flower Power . 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. Crime and Public Safety | The East Bay Dragons MC. If you are a player and are looking for a new group post it here. The club is turning 60 this . The #1 Biker News Website Since 2011-Covering up to minute biker news including Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs & Biker News Worldwide. [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]. 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. 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. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? [3][4], They entered the 202223 PBA Commissioner's Cup of the Philippine Basketball Association as a guest team. 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. Bill Hayes. Many of the riders here are affiliated with clubs, like Los Angeles Divided Time and Chosen Few, Sacramentos Aftermath and Fresnos Unknown Riders. Born June 30, 1934, in Lillie, Louisiana, Levingston was one of 10 children raised by sharecropper parents who moved to the Bay Area in the early 1950s, settling in East Oaklands Brookfield Village neighborhood. 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." Both the Phoenixes and the P. League+ champions of Taiwan were designated by the EASL as Greater China's representatives.. 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. Founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale and chief of staff David Hilliard often came in and ate in Joes restaurant. 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. The club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. 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. Opens in a new window or tab. 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