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. CBS News Bay Area: Free 24/7 News CBS . 1965. all that is interesting Members of the East Bay Dragons, one of the first all-black . The group, which initially started out as a car club in the late 1950s, rides customized Harley Davidson motorcycles (also known as choppers) and is a well-loved fixture of West Oakland. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. Thanks for Staying Tight & Livingston Right!!! Toby Gene and Joe Louis Levingston both had jobs, as well as cars and houses and families, he said. The Black Panthers earliest headquarters was just a few blocks from the Dragons clubhouse. Aaron Pruner is a freelance journalist based in Los Angeles. And Harper has been a member of the club since. Tobie Gene Levingston, founder and president of the East Bay Dragons motorcycle club, is seen in a February 2004 book signing for his classic memoir "Soul on Bikes: The East Bay Dragons MC and . The East Bay Dragons turned 60, and brought all the bikes out. 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. The motel is just off Highway 99, and the low din of car traffic from the road is regularly punctuated by roaring motorcycles. Wilson has been a . He also holds a AA degree in journalism from Contra Costa College (San Pablo). More than 50 made the trip to Fresno, including Levingston. The fairgrounds CFO, Mike Ioakimedes, said he has not yet reviewed the suit with his attorney and declined to comment. Crime and Public Safety | By Nate Gartrell. [3] The Phoenixes are the only franchise team in the EASL, with other participating teams seeded from domestic leagues from Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and the Philippines. 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' other business manager goes by the name "Tug Boat." 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. Now in its 60th year of existence, the East Bay Dragons are one of America's first-ever all-black motorcycle clubs. Undisputed MC. Brotherhood Motorcycle Shop. With The Path behind him, Dunbar says he's considering his next move, including directing a project about the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club, a familiar subject given the years he spent on FX . Prosecutors say Aryan Brotherhood spoke of wanting to build an army within California prisons and forming a new Aryan Brotherhood composed entirely of hardened killers, It was in this way of building bikes together that the group fostered a sense of community, said Liam ODonoghue, a local historian and host of the podcast, East Bay Yesterday. The East Bay Dragons have a record of service to the community and have supported many local charitable organizations. (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. He goes by Prez to club members. We welcome all levels of players including beginners to experts. The clubs name and hometown are in bright red stitching: "East Bay Dragons OAKLAND CALIFORNIA. The Dragons were founded in the 1950s as a car club, but switched over to motorcycles in 1959. History As a car club. 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. LocalWiki is a grassroots effort to collect, share and open the worlds local knowledge. 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. #BIKERNEWS #EASTBAYDRAGONS #HELLSANGELSGet your daily biker news and everything going on in the scene http://www.harleyliberty.comEnough Already! 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. They include riding for breast cancer, AIDS awareness, and violence awareness. He says bikes were cheaper, and they didnt get hassled by cops as much on two wheels. Sign up for our daily newsletter. pic.twitter.com/hDBvuGieca, Jay Leno's Garage (@LenosGarage) July 1, 2020. East Oakland was full of families who worked in the nearby metal foundries and packing plants, and the Levingston family settled in Brookfield Village. The Dragons were originally formed as the Bay Area Chun Yu Phoenixes, a franchise team for the East Asia Super League, representing Greater China. Thats how this clubhouse got built and why it will stick around, he said. Because its made in America and they keep jobs here, Levingston explains. 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. 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. After following the recommendation of Barger, The East Bay Dragons officially became a motorcycle club 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. 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. Richard Serrell or better known as his stage name Richie Rich is a rapper from Oakland, California. His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. Jones has been a member for 40 years and the club is turning 60 years this weekend at the same and only location it was founded in East Oakland. The East Bay Dragons had already established a strong presence within communities in East Oakland. 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. Chosen Few Motorcycle Club- Photography by Gold Mustache Photography, Elliot M. Gold. They believe "you are either a member of the club or not, no in between". [7][8][9] In May 2022, former NBL coach and incumbent Australia Boomers head coach Brian Goorjian was announced as the team's first head coach. 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. After constant harassment and profiling from the local police, Levingston had considered disbanding the car club. 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 . #jaylenoTobie Gene Levingston has been the president of the #EastBayDragons ever since he started the club in 1959! Were like family to each other, said Levingston, whos in his 70s. It was really powerful.. !huge lineup of merchandise. He is an Oakland treasure that will be sorely missed. The fairgrounds CFO, Mike Ioakimedes, said he has not yet reviewed the suit with his attorney and declined to comment. Incident at Iowa Biker Gathering making the news. Ordering Hours. (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. These are the cool names for motorcycle clubs you can use: Mustang Motorcycles. "I lost a lot of good friends behind that s---., But the club survived, and continues to attract new members. 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. "Riding is sort of like an active form of meditation . The suit, filed last June, claims that the Dragons planned a 60th anniversary event at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo that was to be attended by at least 3,800 people and would have featured an impressive lineup of music and comedy. The bikes shiny chrome finish stood out against bright paint, each a different color. Ripper Magazine Vol.15 Old School Chopper Motorcycle Japan Book East Bay Dragons. Thi. It was around 1960. History. A hardtail Honda CB750 with a home-made springer front end and a crude, coffin-shaped tank, it was festooned with a hand-painted mural of a nude woman, resplendent in giant Afro and gold hoop earrings, picking . It is considered a one-percenter motorcycle club with close ties to the Hells Angels. "I hadn't seen it on screen and I just thought it was such an interesting flavor to add," Spellman continued. I wasn't a BeyHive member. He is part of East Bay Dragons, an all-black and all-male Harley Davidson riding motorcycle club in Oakland, California. Buy It Now +$13.50 shipping. 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 was originally created by Gene's big brother as a way to help keep his younger brothers off the streets and out . Carry it on.. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 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