The history of Black cowboys and cowgirls are kept alive in riding clubs and rodeos

On occasion, i teach 90 minute virtual workshops to some youth at a clubhouse in an area not often kind to Black kids…Yeah, i know…

anyways, this month we’re doing “Farming While Black ” a la Leah Penniman, utilizing the curriculum from her book. in a few weeks we’ll dive into Black ranchers and cowpokes.

so, last week as i’m introducing the class and the topics one of the young black men, whom i’ve known for going on 5 years now, asked if the term cowboy was racist. explaining the origins of the term-essentially my answer was yes.

and yet - and this is the shit - we still took pride in the trust - the label of cowboy. actually - fuck the trust - the pride was about the skill. and those skills (rightfully ours to begin with) also gave us a way to build our own livelihood and wealth.

teaching these youth - youth who are engaged and enraged and enjoying life when they are able- shows me the changes that Ezili’s Respite needs to help seed in the world.