The Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club (NABSMC) is a Black (African-American) motorcycle club in the United States, named for the historic African-American United States Army regiments known as Buffalo Soldiers, seen in their patch.[1][2][3][4] It is one of the biggest Black motorcycle clubs in the US and the biggest African American motorcycle club in Chicago, with 140+ chapters as of 2019,[5] with over 5000 members across the USA.[6][7]
 | |
| Abbreviation | NABSTMC |
|---|---|
| Founded | October 1993 |
| Founded at | Chicago, Illinois |
| Type | 501 (c) 3 |
| Purpose | Service club and motorcycle club |
| Membership | 5,000 |
| Website | www.nabstmc.com |
History
editThe first club chapter was founded by Ken Thomas, a Chicago police officer, in 1993[8][9] or 1994.[2]
The National Association of Buffalo Soldiers/Troopers Motorcycle Clubs (NABSTMC) was formed c. 1999.[2]
The organization was officially created at the 1999 National Round-Up. There a meeting was held, invited to that meeting were Presidents and Vice Presidents of most of the MC that at the time were using the name Buffalo Soldiers. There were 5 clubs loosely aligned but using the Chicago scholey (emblem worn on the uniform vest). Those clubs were Chicago, IL(Troopers), Florida, Delaware, Virginia, and New Jersey, and California. There also were representatives from Chicago, IL (Buffalo Soldier MC), Grand Rapids, MI, Dallas TX, Kokomo, IN, St Louis MO, and Harrisburg, PA. Each of those clubs had their own individual scholey (emblem worn on the uniform vest). The meeting was organized by Carl Laury who several years earlier had taken the Chicago scholey to Florida and created the third chapter of what was to become organization. Laury had traveled across the US in 1999 visiting the above named MC to invite them to the meeting in an effort to unite the various factions under one banner. While the meeting failed to convince the reps from IL, MI, TX, IN, MO and PA of the need to organize the ByLaws that Laury presented to the entire group convinced the rest that it was time to move forward. Those initial ByLaws were ratified and set the principles in place that the organization still follows to this day.[10]
Activities
editChapters participate in many charitable activities across the United States, including: providing "Soldiers' Thanksgiving" Thanksgiving turkeys, hams and other necessities for poor families in Tacoma, Washington;[11] fundraising for victims of the 2010 Tennessee floods; highway adoption and adopting a nursing home for monthly visits in Clarksville, Tennessee [12] and mentoring jail inmates in Alexandria, Virginia.[13] They also have a historical educational program concerning the contributions made by their namesake Buffalo Soldiers of the U.S. Army.[14]
The group is enrolled as part of an official motorcycle safety mentorship program in cooperation with the United States Army.[15]
Rallies
editThe group also is an organizer of the National Bikers Roundup, a national motorcycle rally that draws tens of thousands of participants who spend millions of dollars at the rally (estimated $10 million in 2004).[3]
The annual Buffalo Thunder Rally from Maryland suburbs to the African American Civil War Memorial in Washington D.C. started in 2002[8] or 2004.[16] Some riders stay to participate in the subsequent Rolling Thunder Run motorcycle rally.[5] About 1,500 riders participated in 2013.[16]
Membership and organization
editAn academic paper on the organization and its context in African-American culture described it as a "unique recreational, service, and educational organization".[4]
The national headquarters official website states "we are not a 1% club and we claim no territory."[9] Membership requires possession of a 750 cc or greater displacement motorcycle from any manufacturer, a valid drivers license, and insurance.
Membership includes African-American men and women,[17] mostly active-duty and retired military, law enforcement and professionals.[5][8] Identification as member of a particular race is not a membership requirement.[18]
The national organization is composed of several regional/geographic "frontiers" in the United States: Northeast; Southeast; Great Lakes; Central and Western.[19] Within each frontier, there are local chapters; the first chapter in a state is designated the "mother chapter" with certain responsibilities for establishing new chapters.[20] A member who relocates to an "open state", or certain other conditions, is a "member-at-large", who is affiliated with the national group but not any local chapter.[20]
Notes
edit- ^ Hayes 2010.
- ^ a b c Hayes 2011.
- ^ a b Capital Times 2004.
- ^ a b Bowers 2006.
- ^ a b c Harris 2012.
- ^ Ebony, Oct 2007. P.106
- ^ Buffalo Soldier MC, NAACP Today Show, 2010
- ^ a b c Economist 2014.
- ^ a b About us, National Association of Buffalo Soldiers/Troopers Motorcycle Clubs (NABSTMC), retrieved 2014-09-29
- ^ Carl Laury
- ^ Nagle 2013.
- ^ Clarksville Online 2010.
- ^ Alexandria News 2014.
- ^ Metzger 2014.
- ^ United States Army 2014.
- ^ a b Fenston 2013.
- ^ Gay 2007.
- ^ Kessel 2012.
- ^ Frontier chairpersons, National Association of Buffalo Soldiers/Troopers Motorcycle Clubs (NABSTMC), retrieved 2014-09-29
- ^ a b Frequently asked questions, National Association of Buffalo Soldiers/Troopers Motorcycle Clubs (NABSTMC), archived from the original on 2014-10-04, retrieved 2014-09-29
References
edit- Books
- Hayes, Bill (2010), American Biker: The History, the Clubs, the Lifestyle, the Truth, Flash Productions LLC, p. 100, ISBN 9780615375953
- Hayes, Bill (2011), The One Percenter Encyclopedia: The World of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs from Abyss Ghosts to Zombies Elite, MBI, p. 44, ISBN 9780760341100
- Gay, Kathlyn (2007), African-American Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations: The History, Customs, and Symbols Associated with Both Traditional and Contemporary Religious and Secular Events Observed by Americans of African Descent, Omnigraphics, p. 91, ISBN 9780780807792
- Media
- Charles, N (September 13, 2000), ""Buffalo Soldiers" ride again: This time on motorcycles", New Pittsburgh Courier, archived from the original on March 23, 2015
- Wright, Christina M. (August 3, 2006), "Buffalo Soldiers rev up heritage", The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, VA, archived from the original on September 24, 2014
- "Black motorcycle rally to bring $10M to state", The Capital Times, Madison, Wisconsin, p. 1, June 4, 2004, archived from the original on March 23, 2015
- "History and Harleys; Lexington", The Economist, May 31, 2014, archived from the original on March 23, 2015
- Harris, Hamil R. (May 27, 2012), "Several thousand ride into D.C. for Buffalo Soldiers and history", The Root blog, The Washington Post
- Motorcycle Club Shares History Of Buffalo Soldiers With Alexandria Inmates, Alexandria, Virginia: Alexandria News, February 26, 2014, archived from the original on October 6, 2014
- Nagle, Matt (November 26, 2013), "Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club puts real meaning into Thanksgiving", Tacoma Weekly, Tacoma, Washington, archived from the original on November 29, 2013, retrieved September 29, 2014
- The Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club is at it again!, Clarksville, Tennessee: Clarksville Online, May 13, 2010
- Kessel, Tim (June 14, 2012), "The Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club: Positivity Embodied", All About Motorcycles
- Fenston, Jacob (May 26, 2013), Military 'Buffalo Soldiers' Ride To Honor Black Veterans, Washington D.C.: WAMU
- Metzger, Amanda May (February 6, 2014), "He Was a Buffalo Soldier", The Post-Star, Glen Falls, New York
- Other
- Motorcycle Mentorship Program, United States Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center, retrieved 2014-09-27
- Bowers, Tiffini A. (2006). National Association of Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club (Master of Arts). State University of New York College at Oneonta Cooperstown Graduate Program – via ResearchGate (abstract only).