Buffalo Soldiers MC

Buffalo Soldiers MC
Founded October 1993
Location Chicago, Illinois
Founder Ken 'Dream Maker' Thomas
Type 501 (c) 3
Purpose Service club and motorcycle club
Membership 2,000
Website www.nabstmc.com
Abbreviation NABSTMC

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 USA and the biggest African American motorcycle club in Chicago, with 97 chapters as of 2012,[5] with over 2000 members across the USA.[6][7]

History

The 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]

Activities

Chapters 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;[10] fundraising for victims of the 2010 Tennessee floods; highway adoption and adopting a nursing home for monthly visits in Clarksville, Tennessee [11] and mentoring jail inmates in Alexandria, Virginia.[12] They also have a historical educational program concerning the contributions made by their namesake Buffalo Soldiers of the U.S. Army.[13]

The group is enrolled as part of an official motorcycle safety mentorship program in cooperation with the United States Army.[14]

Rallies

The 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.[15] Some riders stay to participate in the subsequent Rolling Thunder Run motorcycle rally.[5] About 1,500 riders participated in 2013.[15]

Membership and organization

An 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. Anyone with a felony conviction is barred from membership.[8][16]

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.[16]

The national organization is composed of several regional/geographic "frontiers" in the United States: Northeast; Southeast; Great Lakes; Central and Western.[18] 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.[19] 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.[19]

Notes

  1. ↑ Hayes 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Hayes 2011.
  3. 1 2 Capital Times 2004.
  4. 1 2 Bowers 2006.
  5. 1 2 3 Harris 2012.
  6. ↑ Ebony, Oct 2007. P.106
  7. ↑ Buffalo Soldier MC, NAACP Today Show, 2010
  8. 1 2 3 4 Economist 2014.
  9. 1 2 About us, National Association of Buffalo Soldiers/Troopers Motorcycle Clubs (NABSTMC), retrieved 2014-09-29
  10. ↑ Nagle 2013.
  11. ↑ Clarksville Online 2010.
  12. ↑ Alexandria News 2014.
  13. ↑ Metzger 2014.
  14. ↑ United States Army 2014.
  15. 1 2 Fenston 2013.
  16. 1 2 Kessel 2012.
  17. ↑ Gay 2007.
  18. ↑ Frontier chairpersons, National Association of Buffalo Soldiers/Troopers Motorcycle Clubs (NABSTMC), retrieved 2014-09-29
  19. 1 2 Frequently asked questions, National Association of Buffalo Soldiers/Troopers Motorcycle Clubs (NABSTMC), retrieved 2014-09-29

References

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 – via HighBeam (subscription required)
  • Wright, Christina M. (August 3, 2006), "Buffalo Soldiers rev up heritage", The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, VA – via HighBeam (subscription required)
  • "Black motorcycle rally to bring $10M to state", The Capital Times, Madison, Wisconsin, p. 1, June 4, 2004 – via HighBeam (subscription required)
  • "History and Harleys; Lexington", The Economist, May 31, 2014 – via HighBeam (subscription required)
  • Harris, Hamil R. (May 27, 2012), "Several thousand ride into D.C. for Buffalo Soldiers and history", The Root blog, 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
  • 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).
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