Accidental History: Harley-Davidson Now Has Its First Black Female Tech
When she decided to go to school to become a motorcycle mechanic, Paris McGowan had no idea she would make history.
Harley-Davidson has been selling motorcycles for almost 120 years, and has dealerships in every state in the union, and numerous countries around the globe. In that epic amount of time, the company has seen two world wars, one cold one, the birth of rock and roll, and multiple booms and busts.
But until Paris McGowan started her position at Gateway Harley-Davidson in Mehlville, Missouri, there had never been a Black female technician on staff at a dealership. And while she made history? McGowan was just following her love of motorcycles. Details on the story come from local NBC affiliate KSDK in St. Louis, which caught up with the 25 year-old mechanic earlier this week, and reported that until she graduated Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Orlando last month, she didn’t know how important her achievement was. That said, she’s happy to be a trailblazer:
It’s 2020. It’s time to move on. We shouldn’t have these barriers anymore. If you can do it, I can do it. Also, maybe even better. I just found a passion, and I stuck with it. I can only just start the snowball.
In a video posted on the KSDK site, McGowan talks about what drew her to the trade, and while her place in history might be unique, her story will be familiar to riders everywhere. Both her mom and dad ride, and while her uncles prefer sport bikes, when she took the plunge and got her endorsement two years ago, she was drawn to Harley-Davidson. Initially, she worked in retail at the dealership, but her love of puzzles and problem solving led her to focus on the mechanical side of things.
While she feels like the Harley-Davidson community is a big family, McGowan also thinks people don’t realize how diverse that family is, and would welcome publicity to inspire all those who want to embrace life on two wheels to get out and do it.
There are a lot of Black female Harley riders, or just Black female riders in general. We need to be shown more. My mother, who is a strong, proud Black woman, rides her own motorcycle. I have aunts and cousins who all ride together. I mean, we just did a female unity ride for Labor Day. I believe there were at least 300 or more female riders out there, and it was incredible.
Now, while McGowan might be the first Black woman to be a dealership tech, Black folks have contributed mightily to the history of the MoCo, and motorcycles in general. In fact, the first woman to embark on a solo trip across the United States was a Jamaican-born woman named Bessie Smith, who completed the feat in the 1930s. One of my personal favorite stories is “Wild Bill” Johnson’s, who along with being the first Black man to have an American Motorcycle Association membership, used his intrinsic understanding of motors and machines to transform a turn a tiny blacksmith shop into a respected Harley dealership.
For more info on some of the contributions Black people have made to the wide, wonderful world of motorcycling, check out this piece we put together for Black History Month. And if you’re getting your bike worked on at Gateway in Missouri? Ask for Paris!
Photos: KSDK St Louis
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