#ResistanceRoots #Voices4Victory #BlackHistoryMonth Many people think of the American West as the province of white men. However, historians estimate that one in four American cowboys were Black, with many of them learning their livestock-handling skills while enslaved. /1 - ThreadSky

bambooshooti.bsky.social • 19 days ago

#ResistanceRoots
#Voices4Victory
#BlackHistoryMonth

Many people think of the American West as the province of white men. However, historians estimate that one in four American cowboys were Black, with many of them learning their livestock-handling skills while enslaved. /1

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bookgal4757.bsky.social•19 days ago

You need to know Mexicans and Black Americans taught the white people to be a Cowboy! 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽

big-sky-1889.bsky.social•19 days ago

Cool photo. I doubt that one in four cowboys were black, but one in ten is pretty plausible. History books & western movies don't tell you that. Those chaps, sheepskin maybe, were used extensively in Montana and North Dakota, not so much south of there. I have to wonder why the holster is empty.

bambooshooti.bsky.social•19 days ago

Ironically, the term “cowboy” has racist origins. White cattle workers were called “cowhands,” while black cattle workers were called “cowboys,” using “boy” in the racist sense. The term was later whitewashed to represent the trade as a whole and exclude Black cowhands. /2

bambooshooti.bsky.social•19 days ago

After emancipation, Black cowboys found paid work on the ranches that had enslaved them. They faced discrimination but were generally paid and treated equally as white cowboys. They were also generally well-respected within their crews and found camaraderie among other cowboys. /3

bambooshooti.bsky.social•19 days ago

Bose Ikard was born into slavery in 1843 and participated in pioneering cattle drives after the Civil War. His boss, Charles Goodnight, said “I have trusted him farther than any living man.” Ikard served as Goodnight’s banker, carrying thousands of dollars in cash until it could be deposited. /4

bambooshooti.bsky.social•19 days ago

Bill Pickett was an African American cowboy who invented the technique of “bulldogging” to subdue wayward steers and became famous for his tricks and stunts. He was a popular rodeo rider and Wild West Show performer but was barred from many rodeos because of his race. /5

bambooshooti.bsky.social•19 days ago

Black cowboys such as Ikard and Pickett have largely been written out of history books and stories of the American West, but they were invaluable to ranchers. They rounded up cattle, broke horses, and fought off cattle rustlers and Native American raids alongside their white counterparts. /end

kslatteryresist.bsky.social•19 days ago

Thank you for this history, it should be taught in schools

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