Editor’s Note: Each week throughout Black History Month, Buckrail will be highlighting a story that celebrates Black history in a way that is unique to our region. We invite our readers to learn more about Black History Month here.
JACKSON, Wyo. —According to historians, around one in four cowboys in the 19th century were Black men.
Following the American Civil War and the reconstruction of the South, enslaved black men and women continued to be denied land ownership and basic rights in most states.
In the late 19th century, Exodusters which was the name given to African Americans who migrated from states along to Mississippi River to Kansas marked the first general migration of black people following the Civil War. Of this group, a smaller portion migrated toward states in the West.
In the West, Exodusters were known to be trained as ranch hands under cattle-raising Native Americans and other masters, eventually gaining equal pay as their white counterparts. This was a stark contrast to the opportunities of black men in the Jim Crow South.
“Right after the Civil War, being a cowboy was one of the few jobs open to men of color who wanted to not serve as elevator operators or delivery boys or other similar occupations,” said William Loren Katz, a scholar of African-American history and the author of 40 books on the topic, including “The Black West.”
Black cowboys also participated in Wild West rodeo shows which showcased the skills and characters of the Western United States. The shows would include rodeo roping and other acts. An African-American cowboy by the name of Jesse Stahl was famous for saddle riding, which was a defining aspect of Wild West rodeos. Despite being given participation, racism was all too common in rodeo competitions. Black rodeo riders were often equated to animals which was a description never used when white cowboys performed rodeo.
Today, the stories of Black cowboys largely go undiscussed in American history education and pop culture. In fact, Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar-winning film, “Django Unchained”, is one of the few Hollywood films depicting a black cowboy.
In reality, there were many, some of whose stories will never be known or told.
Read more about Black cowboys in America at the following links:
America’s forgotten Black cowboys
