definition for: #ViciousHogs

The Vicious Hogs are part of a long tradition of African American bikers. The history of the African American biker scene is filled with visionaries, artists, leaders and revolutionaries. People like William B. Johnson, the first African American Harley dealer. The teen-aged gypsy rider, Bessie Stringfield. P. Wee, the influential motorcycle club leader. And Benny Hardy, the unknown custom builder who created the most-famous motorcycle in the world, Captain America, for the movie Easy Rider. They each rode a motorcycle to showcase their pride, and fueled a movement more powerful than simple internal combustion. The real revolution started in the late 1940s, as black infantrymen streamed home from World War II, hungry to replace the adrenaline rush of combat. Post-war, surplus bikes were available and cheap. In this era of segregated America, some dealers wouldn?t sell a new bike to an African American. Factions began to form out of love of the motorcycle. Some rode choppers, some rode dressers. The next step was the motorcycle club, some all-black, others integrated. They started to form in the late 1950s: East Bay Dragons, Star Riders, Buffalo Riders, The Eagles, The Defiant Ones, The Magnificent Seven, and The Chosen Few. What makes us unique is that we are all Harley, all the time. We have charted our own path in the Motorycle world. We honor the traditions, but we claim our own destiny and we do it our way.