Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club raises money for scholarship fund

CLUB KEEPS MEMORY OF BLACK SOLDIERS ALIVE

By Jason Sibert  Suburban Journal
Thursday, August 6, 2009 5:12 PM CDT

The Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club of Southwest Illinois’ block party in Lebanon was about more than raising money for a new scholarship.

The party, held Aug. 1 on McAllister Street, was also about preserving a piece of black military history.

The Buffalo Soldiers’ story began immediately after the Civil War, when Congress authorized six regiments of black Army troops, two calvary and four infantry, according to the website Texas Almanac (www.texasalmanac.com). The name Buffalo Soldiers came from American Indians who thought the soldier’s curled hair resembled the curly hair on a bison’s face.

Larry Wilkins (left), of St. Louis, and Karen Sisk, of St. Louis, prepare chicken for attendees at the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club of Southwest Illinois scholarship fundraiser in Lebanon on Aug. 1.

 The first chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club was started in 1993 in Chicago by a Chicago police officer to pay homage to African-American contributions to the post-Civil War military, according to the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club website (www.buffalosoldiersnational.com). The club has 80 chapters nationwide.

“The legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers, it’s a legacy that military people and law enforcement people want to see continued,” said motorcycle club member Laurie Calkins. “So much is not taught in school. I hadn’t heard of the Buffalo Soldiers until after I’d joined the military (at 19). Our focus as a motorcycle club is to educate people in the schools and the communities about this.”

Calkins is retired from the Air Force. She’s also the owner of Lil’ Bits Juke Joint in Lebanon, a tavern that serves as a clubhouse for the local chapter of the club.

This year marks the first year for the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club of Southwest Illinois scholarship. One $1,000 scholarship will be given to a student from the Lebanon, East St. Louis, Madison, Cahokia or Lovejoy school districts who attends a four-year institution, according to member Wendell Johnson. Criteria for the scholarship are a 2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and the completion of an essay on Buffalo Soldiers.

Participants in a motorcycle poker run for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society stopped by the fundraiser because Lil’ Bits Juke Joint was one of five stopping points for the run in the Metro East.

They took the time to grab a bite to eat and talk with those at the block party.

Brandon Osborn, of O’Fallon, a poker run participant, said the block party represented the chance “to hang out with other bikers.”

Aaron Wright, of Collinsville, who also participated in the poker run, said the two events amounted to a “good Saturday ride” and the chance to be with other bikers.

A few feet from Lil’ Bits Juke Joint, local Buffalo Soldiers club President Darryl Nelson worked the disc jockey booth, playing a combination of rock and rhythm and blues.

“We want to educate people on the history of the Buffalo Soldiers,” Nelson said. “We do that by going out to churches and different organizations. Some of our other chapters have scholarships and we felt it would be a good thing for us to do.”

Nelson, who is retired from the Air Force, and his wife Donna Nelson are Charter Members the Southwestern Illinois chapter which began in 2007. Nearby, St. Louis resident Larry Wilkins, an Army veteran, cooked and served up turkey legs, chicken, bratwurst.

Sonny Theobald, the owner of S&J Lighthouses in Belleville, operated a booth to installed LED lights on bikes. LED lights make motorcycles more visible at night.

“I’ve never worked an event with the Buffalo Soldiers before,” Theobald said. “I’m having a great time. I’m meeting some great people.”

The final tally from the fundraiser was not available.