National Association of Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Clubs in Mobile

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — The National Association of Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Club convention is taking place in downtown Mobile through Saturday.

“It’s like a big family reunion,” Biker Pink Panther said.

The club has over 120 chapters from around the world, including chapters in Hawaii and South Korea. Each member has a common goal of educating the world about the history and significance of the 9th and 10th Buffalo Soldiers Cavalry Regiments that served in the U.S. Army.

The Buffalo Soldiers were an all-African American force sent to the western frontier after the Civil War from 1866 to 1944.

“They were sent out West to escort wagon trains and protect the people of the plains,” said Terry Hodge, vice president of the Greensboro, N.C., chapter. “The Indians called them Buffalo Soldiers because of their wooly coats and the voracity with which they fought.”

The motorcycle club uses its bikes as a symbol to represent the Buffalo Soldiers.

“The Buffalo Soldiers of 1866 rode horses,” Pink Panther said. “We ride our iron horses to commemorate them.”

Pink Panther has been a full member of the Buffalo Soldiers motorcycle club since April 2021. She was inspired to join the club because of one soldier in particular.

“There was actually a woman among the Buffalo Soldiers named Cathay Williams,” Pink Panther said.

Cathay Williams enlisted in 1866 under the assumed name “William Cathay” and posed as a man. She was honorably discharged in 1868 after being found to be a woman.

This story continues to inspire the Pink Panther.

“She paved the way for women like me to become bikers and be equal to men,” Pink Panther said.

Not only do these motorcyclists teach the community about the rich history, but they also serve the community and those in need.

“We talk about the history of the Buffalo Soldiers,” said biker Roosevelt Brown. “We do a lot of charity work in our community and we get to enjoy our motorcycles.”

The Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Club will be in Africatown on Saturday to donate canned goods.