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. I had some brothers, and they was all behind me. 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. But through all the changes, the Dragons stuck with the same man as president: Tobie Gene Levingston. Instead, the event was canceled at the last minute, after the Dragons had spent thousands in fees and planning. "I hope the Dragons ride on for years and years to come." (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Mr. Besides rap, his passions include motorcycles as well. 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. 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. the club, which this weekend celebrated its 60th year, has since become one of Oaklands most iconic cultural exports, one recognized around the world. He passed in July 2020. 2,671 were here. The Dragons were founded in the 1950s as a car club, but switched over to motorcycles in 1959. Check out the rest of the story here: https://t.co/6pHvA0Hemp, And watch #JayLenosGarage TONIGHT 10p ET. 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. "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.". Like the Bandidos Motorcycle Club and Flaming Knights Motorcycle Club,[15] their club name is prominently displayed in red text over a yellow background, however, the Dragons are not affiliated with either club in any way be it "dominant MC" or "support MC" and was founded prior to both clubs. Formed in 1959, the Dragons hail from Oakland, CA, and still ride to this day. The team was established under the agreement of the Hong Kong . George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. from Japan In Truth Be Told, Spellman illustrates the juxtaposition of that kind of East Bay and North Bay life. "I like the idea of driving across the [Golden Gate] Bridge, she says. 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. CBS News Bay Area: Free 24/7 News CBS . He attends Acts Full Gospel Church in East Oakland and is a retired member of the East Bay Dragons MC, . [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]. Members of the East Bay Dragons, a motorcycle club, gather in front of the clubhouse in Oakland on Saturday, April 2, 2005. The East Bay Dragons were founded by Tobie Gene Levingston in 1959. So it's just like, you know, money Marin and then you go over [the Bay Bridge] and it's funkier, more bluesy Oakland. (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. In the show, she examines big topics, like the class differences that exist in cities separated by a few simple bridges, and tells stories based on the nonfictional locals, like the real-life storied motorcycle club, the East Bay Dragons. 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. (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. Wilson has been a . In fact, everyone in the club had a job and skills they could bring to the table. 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. By Nate Gartrell. The club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. [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. "You look forward to it all year. Lodi Motorcycle Club. [3][4], They entered the 202223 PBA Commissioner's Cup of the Philippine Basketball Association as a guest team. . Like Rasheed, he stresses that the image of bikers as outlaws doesnt apply to the laid-back gathering in Fresno, which crosses generational lines. The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and seven members have failed to have the attempt to seize three of their clubhouses thrown out of court. Shot out to Tobie, Pac-Man and Tugboat! 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. 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. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? When you get the patch, it means youre a real Dragon. He also holds a AA degree in journalism from Contra Costa College (San Pablo). The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club has gunned their Harleys through the meanest streets of Oakland, California, since the 1950s. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. Visit the #1 Biker News Channel on YouTube and get straight up commentary on whats happening in the biker scene. Still SEXY at SIXTY Unlike some of their "outlaw" counterparts, the members of this club have planted deeper roots in the community and, consequently, have supportive neighbors. 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. $45.00. United Bikers Clubhouse. Their founder, Tobie Gene Levingston, remained president until his death last July. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). The toughest moments for Levingston and the Dragons came in the 1980s, as crack ripped through East Oakland. Harper was dismayed, he said, until Tobie Gene Levingston showed up and told him to come by his garage where they would put it back together. 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. During the Christmas season, they sponsor a toy drive and deliver toys to Oakland children on their bikes, while dressing up as Santa Claus. And they was kind of crazy! he remembers. French soccer legend dies at 89; scored record 13 goals in 1958 World Cup, Obituary: Richard Roth, 83, was former vice mayor of Alameda, Olympic gold medalist Bob Richards dies; was first athlete featured on a Wheaties box, Rapid demise of Dilbert no surprise to some who were watching, Respect the patch: How Oaklands oldest Black motorcycle club survived nearly 60 years. Rasheed is a member of the East Bay Dragons. And Harper has been a member of the club since. The men riding them had on polished boots and Levi jackets, blue jean pants and matching striped motorcycle helmets, Harper said. They've also been bred to produce a variety of beautiful patterns and colors. When Huey P. Newton went to jail for the 1967 shootout between the Oakland cops and the Panthers, many members of the Dragons attended Free Huey rallies at De Fremery Park. Bay Area Dragons Hold Charity Event in Manila in Collaboration with Chinese Embassy of the Philippines. Both the Phoenixes and the P. League+ champions of Taiwan were designated by the EASL as Greater China's representatives.. See Copyrights. 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. 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. East Bay Dragons-Hells Angels and incident in Iowa between clubs#BIKERNEWS- A popular Murrells Inlet biker bar will be allowed to hold a fall pre-bike week rally this weekend. Or, contact the owner Shadrick, Melvin of the EAST BAY DRAGONS MC OAKLAND CALIFORNIA trademark by filing a request to communicate with the Legal . 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. 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. Joe Louis Levingston would later add East Bay to the name, creating the green dragon logo with red lettering set atop a gold backdrop. It survived because of the deep roots the club has in the community, its focus on family and the tight bonds of brotherhood. Levingston and the Dragons made the switch from cars to bikes in 1959. 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. 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. Sunday 12 PM - 3:30 PM. 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. https://teechip.com/stores/insanethrottlebikernews*** Subscribe to Hollywood \u0026 China Dolls Channel (It's Free )https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXJgel_T8vy6dKmx6vPp2uA The words "East Bay" were added by member Joe Louis, signifying their region of origin. Add in the cultural differences between regions separated by a few simple bridges, and Spellman found a personal formula that ticked off all the narrative boxes for her. Scott Adams faces consequence culture as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert Many club members could only have access to the family car either during the weekends or late at night. It is considered a one-percenter motorcycle club with close ties to the Hells Angels. [1], Former Chinese Basketball Association general manager Liu Quansheng was appointed as the team's first general manager. 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. If you came out here and talked to folks, no one is going to say anything negative about the East Bay Dragons, Reid said. Biker Angle Weekly News Wrap Up Season 1 Episode 9, They were all sharp, real clean looking, Harper remembers. The fairgrounds CFO, Mike Ioakimedes, said he has not yet reviewed the suit with his attorney and declined to comment. Ripper Magazine Vol.15 Old School Chopper Motorcycle Japan Book East Bay Dragons. In front of his hotel room, Ali Ar Rasheed takes in the scene. At the groups clubhouse in Oakland, pictures of old dances, parties and motorcycle runs cover the walls. Toby Gene and Joe Louis Levingston both had jobs, as well as cars and houses and families, he said. 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. A consultant by day, he helps manage the club's finances. An undated photo of the East Bay Dragons. 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