In uniforms many thought them unfit to wear, some of the first
men of color to bond over Harley-Davidson motorcycles were
soldiers riding in the name of their country. Some of the first
Black bikers in post-war America were soldiers who were assigned
to military police positions where they were responsible for
monitoring the “colored” sections of segregated bases during
World War II. They patrolled on bikes, officials said. This
year, as Harley-Davidson celebrates 110 years, the contributions
of African Americans to biking culture are being recognized.
“Harley-Davidson has a shared history with African Americans in
the motorcycling community and in American history, in general,
that is really amazing,” said John Commissiong, director of
Harley-Davidson’s marketing outreach. “We’re seeing a lot more
African Americans joining together and riding more bikes. We’re
also seeing more large-scale events targeted toward African-
American bikers.” Founded in 1903 by William S. Harley, 23, and
Arthur Davidson, 22, the f