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 fund-raisers. In Spring of 1967, East Bay Dragons member Joe Louis opened up Papa Joes Soul Food a few short blocks from the clubhouse. With great pleasure, we welcomed Doug E Fresh, Whodini, Too Short, Tony Toni Ton, Dru Down, Richie Rich and our host, Mark Curry. 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 Insane Throttle September 26, 2020 Unlike many outlaw motorcycle clubs, the East Bay Dragons do not claim a state as territory by wearing a bottom "rocker". The club took up the Dragons name in 1958, before switching over to motorcycles, which were cheaper and drew less attention from police, as Levingston wrote in his classic memoir Soul on Bikes: The East Bay Dragons MC and the Black Biker Set.. The bottom patches displaying their territory are rectangular, not curved. [16], Since its inception and official establishing as a motorcycle club, the East Bay Dragons have no desire to establish multiple charters 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. (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. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. Shot out to Tobie, Pac-Man and Tugboat! The East Bay Dragons had already established a strong presence within communities in East Oakland. 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. 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. Ladder for U11 Goanna South Blue - GameDay, fixtures, results, ladders, statistics, news and events for the Fixtures & Results, on GameDay, the Home of Grassroots Sport (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group), OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 29: East Bay Dragons motorcycle club member Ernest Big E13 Brown is photographed in a motorcycles mirror at the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. Founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale and chief of staff David Hilliard often came in and ate in Joes restaurant. While the East Bay Dragons are by no means a singular phenomenon, they are one of only a few African American-only motorcycle clubs to come out of 50's post war America. WikiProject Motorcycling (Rated C-class) This article is within the scope of WikiProject Motorcycling, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Motorcycling on Wikipedia. Mr. Going up North with a story about a Hells Angels Motorcycle Club member. 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]. On Wednesday, the club shared newsof Levingstons passing and asked well-wishers to keep Levingstons wife and children and club members in their prayers, saying: Rest in Heaven, Pres.. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. Lizards View All Lizards Turtles & Tortoises Turtles Tortoises Scorpions The club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. 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. 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. The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club has gunned its Harleys through the meanest streets of Oakland, California, since the 1950s. Until 1959, most black motorcycle clubs were "Drill Teams" consisting of World War II veterans. [11] Music. He was 86. OAKLAND Tobie Gene Levingston, who founded the East Bay Dragons as the Bay Areas first all-Black motorcycle club and one of the nations first, died Tuesday of natural causes. Chosen Few Motorcycle Club Photography by Gold Mustache Photography, Elliot M. Gold. 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. He was 86. Pacing the Pirates was senior Tobie Gene Levingston, who founded the East Bay Dragons, one of the nations first all-Black motorcycle clubs, died Tuesday morning of natural causes at the age of 86. Motorcycles were more practical because they were not depended on by an entire household. May he rest and ride in peace. Feb 3, 2016 - While East Anglias biker gang The Outcasts cruised the promenade of Great Yarmouth, The East Bay Dragons were riding on the mean streets of Oakland, California. Many club members could only have access to the family car either during the weekends or late at night. 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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 These drill teams performed group routines consisting of stunts and challenging maneuvers weaving in and out of cones and between other motorcyclists. Unlike most motorcycle clubs, the East Bay Dragons do not have a "prospect" or "probation" period for prospective members. WikiProject California / San Francisco Bay Area (Rated C-class, Low-importance) This article is within the scope of WikiProject California, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of the U.S. state of California on Wikipedia. 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. 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. The East Bay Dragons MC is an all black, all male, all Harley Davidson riding motorcycle club founded in Oakland, California, in 1959 by founder and former president, Tobie Gene Levingston who 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. East Bay Dragons The way Tobie Gene Levingston remembers it, the 1950s were all about rock n roll and carsespecially the latter. 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. (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. After following the recommendation of Barger, The East Bay Dragons officially became a motorcycle club in 1959. The East Bay Dragons MC is an all black, all male, all Harley Davidson riding motorcycle club founded in Oakland, California, in 1959 by founder and former president, Tobie Gene Levingston who died in July 2020. A lot of the members attended weekend rallies to show off their bikes and to listen to speeches given by prominent Black Power movement leaders of the day. Michael Dregni, Hunter S. (CON) Thompson, Sonny Barger, Evel Knievel, Jean Davidson, Arlen Ness MotorBooks International, 7 Feb 2010, "East Bay Community Remembers Trailblazing Founder of All-Black Motorcycle Club", "CHOSEN FEW & EAST BAY DRAGONS - AMERICA'S BLACK BIKER SET REVISITED", "Riding with LA motorcycle club 'The Defiant Ones, "Women as Property - and Other Issues - in New Black Motorcycle Club Doc, 'Outcast Forever' (Available on VOD)", "Golden State Warriors Celebrate NBA Championship with "Dub Nation" - Oakland Post", "The Rise and Fall of a Motorcycle Club Icon Turned Coke Trafficker", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=East_Bay_Dragons&oldid=1017810877, African-American history in Oakland, California, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 April 2021, at 18:28. 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. This was far more affordable as new bikes cost around $500 yet a used Harley Davidson could be bought for as little as $30. Geckos Misc. 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. "I hope the Dragons ride on for years and years to come." He will be interred immediately after at Rolling Hills Memorial Park, 4100 Hilltop Drive, in Richmond. 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. Explore East Bay Dragons' photos on Flickr. East Bay Dragons has uploaded 50 photos to Flickr. [18], The One Percenter Encyclopedia: The World of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs from Abyss Ghosts to Zombies Elite. After constant harassment and profiling from the local police, Levingston had considered disbanding the car club. In a series of social-media posts Wednesday night, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf praised Levingstons legacy. The East Bay Dragons colors are red and gold. The East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club has gunned its Harleys through the meanest streets of Oakland, California, since the 1950s. 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. Fast growing Gateshead superfood firm Super U is set to break into the US market after emerging victorious from the Dragons Den. CLICK HERE if you cant view the gallery in a mobile device. 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