Zulus MC
| Founded | 1969 |
|---|---|
| Type | Outlaw motorcycle club |
| Region | Midwest |
| Website |
zulusmcnation |
The Zulus Motorcycle Club, or Zulus MC, is a club for one percenter motorcycle enthusiasts. The club has a history of almost 50 years and is known for being one of the first black one percenter motorcycle clubs.
Well known black one percenter clubs include the Chosen Few MC and the Wheels of Soul MC, who are mixed-race, but mainly black.
It is worth mentioning that although they are often listed as a one percenter black motorcycle club, they claim themselves that they are in fact not a one percenter motorcycle club and include a diverse range of members including those from law enforcement, white and blue collar jobs and everything else. The only main requirement is that you are of African descent.
The club has a large number of social events, and unlike many other clubs there are many of these events which are advertised on their social media accounts.
History
The Zulus Motorcycle Club were founded in 1969. They had a different purpose to many other clubs of the time, in that they wanted to be based around black men, where almost all other clubs had been made up of only white men, even if unintentionally. Being a black one percenter motorcycle club even to this day makes them very unique.
There were 12 founding members of the Zulus Motorcycle Club who came from Akron and Cleveland in the Mid West.
Etymology
Anecdotes say that the Zulus Motorcycle Club name came after some of the founding members traveled to Africa to meet with Zulu tribesmen. They wanted to learn how these people operated and bring back these traits to the USA and more specifically bring these back to the new club.
The Zulus motorcycle club founders and the African Zulu tribesmen were able to gain a connection as they needed to overcome similar issues related to racial tension including segregation.
Founding members of the motorcycle club then asked the permission of the Zulu tribesmen to use this name.
Founding Members
According to the official website of the Zulus MC, the below members founded the motorcycle club in the late 1960s.
- Rufus Woodall
- Elwin Townsend
- Robert C. Banks
- Walter Walker
- Raymond Editha
- Milton Taly
- Keneth Bell
- Melvin Banks
- Ray Kelly
- John Vargas
- Willie Manley
- Thomas Arstine
Chapters
There are currently approximately 12 chapters of Zulus Motorcycle Club within the USA. These are spread over multiple states and focus on the Mid West.
- Zulus Akron, Ohio
- Zulus Buffalo, Ohio
- Zulus Cleveland, Ohio
- Zulus Columbus, Ohio
- Zulus East Cleveland, Ohio
National Presidents
Rufus Woodall - 1st Zulus MC National President (was also a founding member)
Robert Banks - 2nd Zulus MC National President ( was also a founding member)
Wolverine - 3rd Zulus MC National President
Club Member Favored Bikes
Traditionally in one percenter motorcycle clubs you see only Harley Davidson motorcycles, or at the very least it is somewhat mandatory that the motorcycle has been made in America and definitely is not produced in Asia.
The Zulus Motorcycle Club is not as forceful in these requirements. While most members of Zulus MC do in fact ride Harley Davidson motorcycles, it is common to see a variety of other makes including Honda and Yamaha motorcycles riding with their pack. The club states that the most important aspect when it comes to motorcycles is that you share a love of riding and ride often.