If you were born after 1990, it might be easy to think that the world has always had wheelchair ramps, closed captions, and bathroom stalls for people with disabilities. But none of those things existed until a few decades ago - and they all had to be demanded. Until a group of confrontational activists emerged out of Berkeley in the 1960s, it was legal to discriminate against people with disabilities. All that changed thanks to the radical students who built one of the most successful movements of the 20th century.
Today’s episode features my interview with Scot Danforth, the author of “An Independent Man: Ed Roberts and the Fight for Disability Rights” (UC Press). Listen now to hear about how a man who couldn’t move his arms or legs changed laws, architecture, and society’s view on people with disabilities.
To see photos and links related to this episode, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/he-wanted-people-to-take-risks/
Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday
Donate to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/c/eastbayyesterday
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If you were born after 1990, it might be easy to think that the world has always had wheelchair ramps, closed captions, and bathroom stalls for people with disabilities. But none of those things existed until a few decades ago - and they all had to be demanded. Until a group of confrontational activists emerged out of Berkeley in the 1960s, it was legal to discriminate against people with disabilities. All that changed thanks to the radical students who built one of the most successful movements of the 20th century.
Today’s episode features my interview with Scot Danforth, the author of “An Independent Man: Ed Roberts and the Fight for Disability Rights” (UC Press). Listen now to hear about how a man who couldn’t move his arms or legs changed laws, architecture, and society’s view on people with disabilities.
To see photos and links related to this episode, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/he-wanted-people-to-take-risks/
Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday
Donate to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/c/eastbayyesterday
“Respect the patch”: How Oakland’s oldest Black motorcycle club survived more than 60 years
East Bay Yesterday
35 minutes 36 seconds
4 months ago
“Respect the patch”: How Oakland’s oldest Black motorcycle club survived more than 60 years
Tobie Gene Levingston left behind his life as a Louisiana sharecropper in the mid-1950s to work at an Oakland metal foundry. Within a few years, he started the East Bay Dragons, which grew to be one of the most legendary Black motorcycle clubs in the world. This episode goes into the Dragons’ clubhouse for a deep conversation with two long-time members, Melvin Shadrick and Picasso, to explore how the club has managed to thrive all these years – and what it feels like to cruise past another motorcycle pack on the highway going 140 miles per hour. [Note: This episode originally aired in 2018]
To see photos related to this episode, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/respect-the-patch/
This episode’s art is a watercolor painted by Oakland-based illustrator and author Robert Liu-Trujillo. You can see more of Rob’s work at http://work.robdontstop.com/
Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: https://eastbayyesterday.substack.com/
Donate to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday
East Bay Yesterday
If you were born after 1990, it might be easy to think that the world has always had wheelchair ramps, closed captions, and bathroom stalls for people with disabilities. But none of those things existed until a few decades ago - and they all had to be demanded. Until a group of confrontational activists emerged out of Berkeley in the 1960s, it was legal to discriminate against people with disabilities. All that changed thanks to the radical students who built one of the most successful movements of the 20th century.
Today’s episode features my interview with Scot Danforth, the author of “An Independent Man: Ed Roberts and the Fight for Disability Rights” (UC Press). Listen now to hear about how a man who couldn’t move his arms or legs changed laws, architecture, and society’s view on people with disabilities.
To see photos and links related to this episode, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/he-wanted-people-to-take-risks/
Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday
Donate to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/c/eastbayyesterday
