A new docuseries explores the history of the Black cowboy and the erasure of Black people from Western culture.
Executive produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, High Horse: The Black Cowboy, a three-part pop culture and historical docuseries, not only confronts the Wild West but also reclaims it, revealing “the Black cowboy whose history has been stolen, erased and left untold.”
The Peacock series features conversations with Peele, Tina Knowles, Glynn Turman, Pam Grier, The Compton Cowboys, Rick Ross, Bun B and others, aiming to set the record straight about the American Frontier.
“It’s essential that we know these things occurred with Black involvement,” Bun B told Blavity’s Shadow and Act in a recent interview.
“That’s the first thing. It’s important that we acknowledge and recognize those things. Then, we’ve got to amplify the voices of people who are trying to get this information out. Because I can understand on its nose, there could be some sort of projection about having to learn about Black people. But this is not Black history. This is American history. We’re as contributive to this struggle as the people who built the railroads across this country. And I think it’s time that it was put in its proper perspective. I think the way this documentary was shot, and the way it was put together and edited, does it amazingly. It puts everything exactly where it needs to be placed, and for those who have done so much of the heavy lifting, with no recognition, they finally get their grace. We finally give them the glory and their flowers.”
Clearing up common misconceptions about Black people’s role in the American West
Bernard James Freeman, known to the world as Bun B, was born in Houston and raised in Port Arthur, Texas. He said being part of this production taught him a lot about the history of the Black cowboy that he wasn’t aware of.
“I didn’t know that some of the first African slaves were brought here specifically because of their skills with animals,” the rapper turned businessman and educator said.
“And I did not know that the term cowboy was not only a Black term, but it was also a derogatory term. You know, the reason it’s not considered derogatory now is because they’ve erased the idea of the Black man being the first cowboy. First thing they did was change the narrative of what a cowboy was and how he looked, right? This automatically excluded our involvement from a certain perspective. So, now I’m glad that we get to go back and offer reclamation of these things, but also lay them out in the proper way so people can understand why those things happened that way.”
Furthermore, Bun B explained how the series highlights the larger systemic racism at hand that has led to the erasure of the Black cowboy, specifically regarding people like Bass Reeves.
Reeves is a figure in the history of the American West whose story has been rewritten and often diminished because he didn’t fit their narrative of what a cowboy should be.
According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, Reeves was born into slavery in Arkansas, but grew up in Lamar and Grayson counties in Texas, before escaping north into the Indian Territory, becoming acquainted with the Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole.
He was the only Black deputy marshal in Indian Territory, where he worked for 32 years. Ultimately, he became quite the celebrity for his six-foot stature and approach to serving.
“The veteran Negro deputy never quailed in facing any man,” Muskogee Police Chief Bud Ledbetter once said regarding Reeves, who became an expert with pistol and rifle. Territorial newspapers stated that he killed fourteen outlaws during his career as a peace officer.
“Bass Reeves was that figure within the Texas Rangers that they tried to put to the Lone Ranger, take his color away, and give him a sidekick to lessen that person, right? To make it look as if this white cowboy knew more about the world than an American Indian, some of the first people in this country to deal with American livestock and to navigate the country, so to speak. Now, we get to take back all that they took from us, reclaim it, and present it with the proper perspective so people can understand these things. I think it’s very important for Black people to understand this and gain knowledge on this. I also believe it’s important for white people to understand this because, quite frankly, white America has been lied to, too.”
Not your average cowboy
Along with touching on the rich and often neglected history of the Black cowboy, the docuseries explores how cowboys come in all shapes and sizes — the picture painted that cowboy hats and boots are the everyday aesthetic for cowboys is inaccurate.
“I don’t remember it, but there is proof of it,” Bun B said when asked to recall his first interaction with a Black cowboy, noting that as he grew older, his perception of what one looked like changed.
He added, “As I started to move around the city more and more, the city of Houston, to be exact, I started to see people on horses in the street; that’s the beauty of Houston. You’ll see horses where cars are, and that can be very off-putting to some people. I remember I was recording an album, and one of the guys from the label flew down. On his way to the studio he passed some people riding on a horse with a white tee, Dickies and Air Force Ones, and just the idea of that blast from the past, and the modernity in the wardrobe, was off-putting [for him].”
He explained that not every cowboy is suited up in boots and typical gear all day, unless that’s your day job or you work on a farm or ranch. One may see the sons and daughters of modern-day farmers dressed to the nines for a rodeo or trail ride, but on an everyday basis, some opt for a more relaxed approach. Still, this is not to suggest that they are not immersed in the culture.
“There isn’t a race of people in this world that won’t learn something of value from this documentary, I don’t believe,” Bun B said. “Cowboys are worldwide.”
“I think documentaries like this are a testament to the hard work and fights that they have fought just to have the right not to be seen as a certain type of thing. Just to have what every other American was able to afford and have,” he said. “I don’t think people realize how hard it was for our community to reach the type of levels that other people have reached in this country, and still have not gotten to that level on certain issues. But, I think the presentation of this type of information — which, again, every American needs to know and see this stuff — it’s a step in the right direction. There are definitely going to be other people following behind this documentary, trying to really present this in an intentional, authentic and transparent way that allows everyone to just throw all of their preconceived notions out the door and allow themselves to be educated. If they do that, we’ll all be better off for that.”
All three episodes of High Horse: The Black Cowboy are now available to stream on Peacock.