Soul on Bikes When Sonny Barger formed the Oakland Hell’s Angels in 1957, a few miles up East 14th Street in East Oakland, a young black bike rider from Louisiana named Tobie Gene Levingston was soon to follow in Barger’s footsteps. The two knew and respected each other and had ridden their Harleys together in the same East Bay neighborhood. In 1959, Tobie Gene organized the Dragons, a loosely knit, all-black men’s club, one of the first of its kind. The dragon’s earliest incarnation began as an all-black car club. It originally stemmed from Tobie Gene’s big brother role to keep his younger brothers and friends occupied and out of trouble. The Dragons became ten strong, including members like MacArthur, Hooker, Tobie’s brothers Joe Louis and Jonas, Baby Joe, Sam and Cousin Rabbit. Tobie Gene became the East Bay Dragons MC’s first and only president, still reigning and riding after forty-four years.
Customer Review: Only One Of Its Kind
I read this book when it first came out, and I’ve read it repeatedly over the past four years. I just put it down again last night. This is a fascinating and well-written walk through the Black Biker Set (I ride) and it’s a sad reality that no other books like it have come along.
I want to know more about how Mr. Levingston’s family dealt with his lifestyle. I want to know more about how American politics factored into their world. I want to know about how and why the Dragons chose their preferred styles of motorcyles over the years. It’s reasonably well known that Bay Area Hells Angels generally prefer a certain type of bike while the Dragons are drawn to a different style. I’d like to know the philosophies behind their chosen machines.
And, on a deeper level, I want to know more about the other legendary Black clubs out there. This isn’t necessarily a job for Mr. Levingston but for historians and publishers. I want to see more books like this. There are videos out there detailing the Wheels of Soul and another entitled “Glory Road” which is more general. Both are great documents and more are being produced. But where are the written histories to accompany this excellent overview of one of the premier Black clubs?
For potential readers, you can’t go wrong with this book. If you enjoy biker books, this one is unique. If you enjoy Black history, again, this is a unique entry. And if you just want to read something off the beaten path, you can’t go wrong here.
Customer Review: Illuminating
I loved this book. I’ve read a lot of books about bike clubs in the 60s, but I actually learned a lot from this book. I’m familiar with a lot of the big clubs, but never even heard of the East Bay Dragons before and found their story fascinating. Unlike some other reads, there were no tall tales. Just the facts, and they were all that was needed to tell the story.
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