Bessie Stringfield - nicknamed "The Motorcycle Queen of Miami", was an African American woman credited with breaking down barriers for both women and African American motorcyclists. Click on the link to read more. |
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What is a biker???
The term biker has had many meanings Thur the years, in the 50's, 60's and some of the 70's bikers were consider to be outlaws, and I guess we were, in the 80's, 90's and 2000's we have been given a much better reputation, but we are still a group that is as diverse as any there is out there. We are lawyers, doctors, judges, truck drivers, nurses, stay at home moms, and just about any other kind of profession you can think of, but what we are together is a family. If you belong to the biker family you belong to one of the largest families in the nation. We are spread out through all 50 states and in countries around the world. If you belong to this family you have a sense of camaraderie that most will never know. You know that if your brother or sister from New York, or Ohio calls and says we've got a death amongst our group you will load up on your bike and head that way to ride with 200 or more bikers in a funeral procession to honor our fallen family member. Or if you get a call letting you know that someone in the family has been diagnosed with cancer or some other deadly disease that you will get together with the others like you in your neighborhood to ride in a poker run to raise money for that person to help with medical expenses or to just help pay their bills because they can't work right now. You will be the first ones to set up a toy run at Christmas time to collect toys for underprivileged children in your area, and you will do it without hesitation, or without a thought about whats in it for me As a biker you will know what it's like to ride along a country road early in the morning when there is still dew on the ground and smell the honey suckles blooms as you have never before smelled them. You will know what its like to ride along a beach and smell the ocean in ways that someone with 4 wheels can never experience and to know what a sunset is like riding through the dessert as you have never before seen. You will know what it feels like to ride into a bike rally full of people that you have never before met, but to feel like you are the best of friends with everyone there just because you are a biker and they are too.
The stigma that has surrounded bikers has slowly been changed over the years, but there is much more change that is needed to receive the honor that we deserve. The next time you see a biker out on the road instead of saying look at those outlaws, why don't you try thinking look at those kind bikers going there. They are the first to come to the help of almost everyone in there community and if others around them would take a few lessons this world would be a better place to live.
