Interesting history tidbit: 25% of cowboys were black.

[Dr. Acula]

America's black cowboys fight for their place in history - CNN.com

Just came across this as its something that most people wouldn't realize if they got their vision of the "Wild west" from most westerner movies which was mostly filled with old white dudes. However, most cowboys were a mix of not just black folks but native americans, mexicans, whites, and blacks.

One of the reason blacks made up a large percentage of cowboys, particularly during slavery and jim crow era is that these sparsely settled areas allowed black men to roam freely without having to deal with the discrimination that existed in the south and north east. Given the more lax nature of society in general, no one had any economic incentive to discriminate against black folks at least on an organized scale like slavery in the south, black codes, and jim crows which were sanctioned actions through the state. Everyone had their own to tend to. So many black folks saw "cowboy" work as a way to escape the bullshyt.

Just thought this was interesting and would share.

 

[BmoreGorilla]

A lot of the first cowboys were black

 

[NotaPAWG]

Spoiler

Yo
Yo, little man, what you're doin?
We're watchin a western
A western?
Yeah, cowboys
This ain't really no cowboy movie, man
Yo, ain't nobody on here black
Know what I'm sayin?
Peep the real cowboy flicks
What's a real cowboy flick?

A real cowboy?
I'ma show you what a real cowboy is
I'ma show you what a true cowboy is
Phat Katz, bring it

Billy The Kid was a well-known villain
But I know a black villain that did more killin
Dismissed from the western movies and tv
(Cherokee Bill) spillin blood, killin em easy
The final frontier adds another test
For slaves and Indians headed towards the west
Another showdown, so don't put your gun away
You start shootin like your name was Doc Hollyday
So it's safe to say real men wore black
Gunslingers that were quick to put you on your back
Cowboys that were black, we never heard of ya
In order to get respect, you had to be a murderer
In the year of 1895
Cowboys were wanted dead or alive
(The Rufus Buck gang) ripped like a chainsaw
The only law they followed was the law of the outlaw
Cause justice was a cowboy's rifle
You live by the gun, and you're bound to die trifle
Real men shoot it out in a ghost town
The six-shooters gonna spark after sundown

It's The Posse
Shoot em up
Shoot em up

It's The Posse
Shoot em up
Shoot em up

Down with The Posse
Shoot em up
Shoot em up

It's The Posse
Shoot em up
Bang shoot em up

Long before John Wayne or Bronson
There was the gun-totin black cowboy named Britton Johnson
He was a legend for runnin things in Texas
He was reckless
However some were brave enough to test his
October 13th (what year?) 1864
Comanche and his boys started a all-out war
So there were bloodstained soils in the west
(Tell em why)
Cause there was no such thing as a bullet-proof vest
So he couldn't escape his date with fate, he was gunned down
By a gang of villains shortly after sun down
25 villains on a Texas plane
25 villains with skills of pain
25 villains livin life on the run
You live by the gun, you die by the gun

(Wild wild west to your chest)
(To your chest) --]

So now you know the real deal about the wild west
About the land that puts a man to a test
1895 - the year of gold fever
Black cowboys, and now you're a believer
The blackman and redman, together we were riding
Outlaws and rebels and the non-law-abiding
In history the black cowboy was erased
Jesse Lee is gonna show you his face
One out of every three cowboys were black
But if you watch tv, you'll never know that
The blackman had a part in the west too
But if you don't believe us, now we're gonna show you
Another star in the wild west rodeo
(Suprise) was a jet-black negro
The blue-eyed cowboy wasn't the only one
To get respect and fame with the loaded gun
There were renegades quick with the fingers
I give respect to the black gunslingers

 

[Box Cutta]

I've heard that the particular style associated with cowboys mostly came from us.

 

[Doobie Doo]

You ever seen Posse OP?

 

[Dr. Acula]

You ever seen Posse OP?

Nah but I see Mario Van Peebles directed it. Need to check it out.

 

[MajorVitaman]

@KidStranglehold

Was that you that was talking about the Fulani culture & their knowledge of cattle that was brought to America with the trans Atlantic slave trade

 

[filial_piety]

Honestly, I thought that this was common knowledge. And to be honest, I always thought atleast half of them were black and native american.

 

[Colilluminati]

I have a friend who stays in Gary Indiana . I always stop at the same gas station to load up on cigars . There is always a black cowboy at the gas station . At first I was like this nikka ain't no cowboy


Then one day breh pulled up on a horse and I almost fainted

 

[SeveroDrgnfli]

More than that. My family is from Oklahoma and we founded the historical society in Tulsa county. Trust me man black people were the first cowboys. America had romanticized it like it was some great job for noble white men. It wasn't that all.

I'm a black cowboy. I was raised by them. My family still owns cattle, horses, and farms. I'm very fukking proud of my history too.

 

[West Coast Avenger]

.........

 

[Fani Willis fan]

the early western movies were based on a black cowboy who did hundreds of bounties...but ofc they made the characters white.

 

[Colin X]

Yeah, I really thought this was universally known



In fact, there's a episode in a series about the makings of America where they specifically talk about black cowboys



I remember being taught about this like two weeks into AP US history, I think

 

[Miles Davis]

A lot of the first cowboys were black

They stole this shyt from us too

 

[Samori Toure]

@KidStranglehold

Was that you that was talking about the Fulani culture & their knowledge of cattle that was brought to America with the trans Atlantic slave trade

Some other African ethnic groups had knowledge of cattle were the Massai, Nguni and Zulu. Many Bantu people were captured in the slave trade too.

Another thing is that the Hausa of Nigeria and the Mossi people of Burkina Faso and Northern Ghana were expert horsemen. Both of those societies had excellent cavalries. A number of those folks were also captured in the slave trade. One of the skills that a number of slaves had was that of blacksmiths.

And some Bantu ethnic groups like the Nguni and Zulu people of South Africa:

Mossi Calvary

7 Medieval African Kingdoms Everyone Should Know About - Page 3 of 4 - Atlanta Black Star


Hausa Calvary

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE: HAUSA PEOPLE: AFRICA`S LARGEST SCATTERED WARRIOR TRIBE AND TRADERS WHO RESPECT THEIR CULTURE