The Motor Mouse Motorcycle Club was founded in 1972 by Johnny Mack Robinson. Mr. Robinson saw a cartoon of a mouse riding a motorcycle, which inspired him to come up with the Motor Mouse name for the group.
Some of the original members were Johnny M. Robinson (deceased), Willie McDuffy, Sr. (deceased), Green Sample (deceased), L.D. Spencer (deceased), Hewitt Spencer (deceased), Ike Donald (deceased), Archie Beckworth, James B. Hull, David L. Hull, Lewis Douglas and Tommy Townsend.
Above (main image): David and Linda Hull Right: One of the original Motor Mouse Motorcycle Club members, Archie Beckworth
Mr. Robinson was the first president of Motor Mouse; followed by Wilie McDuffy, Sr. Today, David L. Hull is the acting president of the motorcycle club and vice president of the Mississippi Motorcycle Association.
The club has always been about helping our community, and to this day we still do. We give out scholarships and donate to cancer patients and burn survivors. We give to charities and to our schools and provide clothes and toys for children at Christmas time. We feed the public for Thanksgiving and offer free motorcycle escorts for funerals.
Currently, our club consists of 70 members. Our clubhouse is located at 306 Mill Street in Indianola, MS, and we are housed in the historic White Rose Café building.
Left: The Motor Mouse Motorcycle Club poses in front of their clubhouse, the historic White Rose Café.
The White Rose Café was started in 1947 by three siblings: Fred Carter, Irene Carter Magruder, and Courtney Carter Magruder. They served meals to African Americans seven days a week, and it was also a weekend hangout for teenagers in the 1940s and 1950s. 1
Later, the building was sold to George and Estella Reed in the early 1960s. During the civil rights movement, white and African American civil rights workers would go to the White Rose Café to relax and enjoy themselves in a safe place. 1
The White Rose Café has served as the Motor Mouse clubhouse for the past ten years, carrying on the legacy of the previous owners by using the space to give back to the community. So, if you are ever in Indianola, MS, please stop by and visit this historical site. The Motor Mouse Motorcycle Club would love to have you stop by.
During the month of July 2024, MAC’s Folk & Traditional Arts Director, Maria Zeringue, and photographer, Jai Williams, visited the White Rose Café to talk with club members and take photos. Please enjoy these photos of our club.
Maria also visited again in November while we were preparing for our Thanksgiving meal in November 2024. She interviewed members about their experiences in the club and why they enjoy being a part of Motor Mouse. Those quotes from our members are included in this photo essay.
Right: Georgia White
It’s our home away from home. ~Marie Thomas
Karson Williams
Michael Cocroft
Ladell Jackson with a photo of past MMMC members
“We get to do community functions. We travel and you know, just socialize with each other. And having that sisterly and brotherly love. We are there for each other when things are good and when things are bad. It’s just been a nice ride so far.”
~ Linda Hull
Left: Larry Carter, aka Pony Boy
“When we go places, we get to meet other motorcycle groups. It’s just interesting because it is never dull. You always get a chance to do interesting things and meet interesting people.”
~ Linda Hull
Right: Ladies of the Motor Mouse Motorcycle Club
“Everybody thinks that [in] a motorcycle group, you have to ride a motorcycle, but you don’t. You don’t have to ride a motorcycle. It’s just basically being in a sister and brotherhood. That’s it.”
~ Renee Mitchell
Left: Mike Ward
“It’s the camaraderie, riding together, getting together and the fellowship with the club. It’s venturing out into surrounding towns in the Mississippi Delta and the idea of getting out and getting on your bike and riding.”
~ Mike Ward
The ladies of the Motor Mouse Motorcycle Club
“It just feels good to be associated with something. The older we get, you know, you got a group you can be with to go enjoy and have fun… yeah, the laughter.”
~Joyce Neal
“My mom, before she passed, she had been with Motor Mouse for a long time. She wasn’t a member, but she always went to every event they had. So, I really got in [the club] to represent her.”
~ Renee Mitchell
Right: Raymond Clegg and Michael Cocroft
“I joined Motor Mouse in 2004. When I was coming up, my uncle, he was always in the motorcycle club. And so when I got old enough, I started riding bikes, and I’ve been riding bikes ever since.”
~ Larry Floyd
Larry Floyd, aka Bo Bo Patches
Curtis Thompson
“I like the vests because we have to have the Mississippi patch on it.”
~ Joyce Neal
Left: Bryant Kimbrough
“We are a great group of guys and ladies that come together in the community.”
~ Bryant Kimbrough
Left: Roy Hamilton
“Being a biker, I like to meet, I like to go, but I like to be around bikers for sure. That is for entertainment, and I am a non-violent biker. I don’t like to be around the rowdy guys. I like to associate with people that have a good sense of humor.”
~ Roy Hamilton
“I’m 67 years old, and I hope I can ride another ten years at least. But until then, I’ll be on my bike.”
~ Larry Floyd
Right: Tony Hull
Jai Williams is a southern photographer who focuses on imagery through an ethnographic lens.
Footnotes
Linda Hull
Linda Hull is the assistant treasurer of the Motor Mouse Motorcycle Club. She has been an active member of the club for 13 years. She was born and raised in Indianola, MS.