During
the summer of 1994, two cousins, Brian Bulow
and Leon Martin, decided to attend the national Black Bikers Roundup in Atlanta, Georgia. Both men shared a love of motorcycling, although Brian only started
riding street bikes the year before.
The National Black Bikers Roundup is an annual event sponsored by African-American
motorcycle clubs in the state that is hosting it and is designed for the enjoyment
of the African-American motorcycle community. The event moves from city-to-city
and in 1994 Atlanta was the host city.
Both Leon and Brian were very impressed with the roundup as neither of them had
attended a motorcycle event of this magnitude. Over 40 thousand African-American
bikers converged on the city of Atlanta during the first week of August, 1994.
Many of the bikers were wearing "colors" or insignias on the back of their leather
vests to denote the club that they belong to. There seems to be more than
100 clubs represented at the roundup. Some clubs were co-ed, some were fraternal,
and others were for women only. There were some clubs that have chapters from multiple
locations in attendance. Everyone seemed to take great pride in their colors
and their clubs.
As the men took in the sights and scenes of the roundup there was one club that
always stood out above the rest. Brian and Leon spent many hours talking to
the members of this very special club. The Black men of this club were strong,
clean, articulate, proud men. The colors that they wore always drew attention
when they walked by. These were the men of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle
Club of Chicago, Illinois.
All of the members were very friendly and outgoing. The president of the club
was a charismatic man by the name of Ken Thomas. People in the motorcycle
world knew him as "The Dream Maker". His friends just called him Dream.
Dream took a liking to Brian and Leon and spent many hours telling them about his
club, life as a Black motorcyclist, tips on customizing bikes, and the history of
the National Black Bikers Roundup. In addition to Dream sharing his dream
with the two men, both men enjoyed the spectacle of seeing the long row of finely
customized motorcycles owned by Dream and his fellow club members. Everyone
who walked past their area had to stop and marvel at the 20 or so gleaming bikes.
Dream, the other club members, and their bikes left quit an impression on Leon and
Brian.
Towards the end of the roundup Brian and Leon decided to approach Dream about the
possibility of starting a chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers in their home state of
Maryland. Dream was receptive to the idea but wanted to ensure that the men
were serious and understood what it means to be a Buffalo Soldier. This was
an undertaking not to be taken lightly.
Over the course of the next several months Brian and Dream communicated frequently.
Dream explained how to incorporate a chapter, problems with rapid growth, and the
day-to-day ups and downs of being a chapter president. Dream provided Brian
with a copy of the Chicago by-laws to use as a guide and he even hand delivered a
set of colors to Brian while on a trip to Baltimore.
By March of 1995 Brian and Leon had registered the name, filed the necessary incorporation
paperwork with the state of Maryland, and on the 13th of March the Buffalo Soldiers
Motorcycle Club of Southern Maryland was born, with Brian as the president and Leon
as
the VP. The Maryland chapter became the first chapter in Dream Makers's "dream"
of an international association of Buffalo Soldiers motorcycle clubs.
In the late spring of the same year Brian had a chance meeting with a fellow rider
at a local motorcycle dealership that would help to launch the club into the greater
Washington, DC motorcycle scene. The man, Donald Thigpen, noticed Brian's
colors and was intrigued. They exchanged contact information and Donald invited
Brian and Leon to address a group of men that he rides with on the Buffalo Soldiers.
Within a month Leon and Brian met with a group of men who would eventually
become the charter members of the club. Most of the group had served in the
military and all recognized the historical significance of the Buffalo Soldiers
and wanted to be apart of a motorcycle organization that not only fostered motorcycle
riding but was a positive image in the African-American community. Before
long Brian Bulow and Leon Martin were officially joined by Donald Thigpen, Pasteur
Tebo, Hugh Valentine, David Johnson, and James Valentine.
The new chapter was gaining attention on the local motorcycle scene. It did
not take long for the men to decide to change the name to the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle
Club of Maryland in order to have a state wide presence. The club of seven
men was made up of hard riders who regularly attended motorcycle events up and down
the east coast and numerous places to the west. During their travels many
bikers took a liking to their colors and asked to start chapters in their own cities
and states. In less than five years the Maryland chapter had sponsored five
new chapters as its membership grew to over 15 members.
The Maryland chapter is very active in its community, having started an essay contest
for local high school seniors, participating monthly at a soup kitchen, donating
clothes to the needy, and providing baskets of food at Thanksgiving. The membership
takes this responsibility seriously and is willing to serve.
The new millennium ushered in many changes to the chapter. Brian stepped down
after serving eight consecutive years as president. He was replaced by retired
Army Sergeant, Felipe Fields, who is still president today. Membership has
grown to over 30, with prospects waiting to join. The club's latest venture
is to co-produce a jazz/blues concert with BETJ and to sponsor a Memorial Day ride
to the African-American Civil War Memorial. The ride to the memorial concludes with
guest speakers from the military and the private sector. The club continues
to look for new avenues to support their community and to be positive role models
for the youth in the area.
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