Black Cowboys of Rodeo

The myths and legend of the American West meet the real-life struggles and triumphs of Black cowboys in this fascinating account from journalist Cartwright. . . . This stirring history will have readers rethinking the very definition of Americana. -Publishers Weekly, starred review This is a fantastic book and is a history book that hopefully never gets lost or forgotten. . . . This is a book that should be required reading in American History classes. -Tom Knuppel, KNUP Sports Keith Ryan Cartwright's book is an essential corrective to the lily-white history of the cowboy and the American West that has been promoted by motion pictures and white supremacists for centuries. It works as both a sweeping look at the cowboy ethos and profiles of scores of [those] whose greatness made America. -Nelson George, author, filmmaker, music and culture critic Can I get a yee-haw? Black Cowboys of Rodeo is a marvel of a book-built with muscular research and smooth writing, resurrecting larger-than-life characters who will amaze and inspire readers. Cowboys have long been symbols of American grit and self-reliance. Black cowboys are that and more. Thank goodness their stories are finally being told-and told so beautifully. -Jonathan Eig, best-selling author of Ali: A Life Hollywood has not always been on the right side of history when it comes to portraying Black cowboys, but a thoroughly researched book like Black Cowboys of Rodeo finally amends that narrative. -Blair Underwood, actor, producer, and director Keith Ryan Cartwright's masterful excavation of the contribution of Black cowboys to American history is both rich and timely. The engaging stories of the individuals in Black Cowboys of Rodeo chronicle the lives and struggles of men who were not only field hands and laborers but family men, businessmen, entertainers, and entrepreneurs. This book will be illuminating to many still unfamiliar with the important role they played in the taming and shaping of the American West. -Yohuru Williams, founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas Keith Ryan Cartwright is a master storyteller, who has accomplished what could be considered his life's work in his first attempt. This is a very important book coming at an equally important time. -Ty Murray, nine-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world champion From the Gene Autry epigraph that opens it, this entire book is a revelation-a lively and comprehensive look at a subculture, but one that spills its bounds to become a sweeping panorama of American life. Depression-era foreclosures, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, crashing the Oscars, John Wayne's Dollar and Roy Rogers's Trigger, plus cameos from Willie Nelson, Medgar Evers, Aretha Franklin's ex-husband, and Muhammad Ali (on horseback!)-hold on for the ride, because Black Cowboys of Rodeo will buck off every one of your preconceptions. -Alexander Wolff, best-selling author of The Audacity of Hoop: Basketball and the Age of Obama Black Cowboys of Rodeo is a much-needed look at the lives of modern Black cowboys. For too long this story has been overlooked. But that omission stops with this book. Keith Ryan Cartwright takes readers on a journey from farm life in Oklahoma, to the Jim Crow south, the bright lights of Hollywood, and the streets of Harlem. Filled with stories of famous men like the legendary Bill Pickett and many other unheralded Black men who scraped their way to make a living in rodeo, Cartwright has produced a beautifully written manuscript about Black manhood. -Louis Moore, best-selling author of We Will Win the Day: The Civil Rights Movement With the vivid, detailed portraits in Black Cowboys of Rodeo, Keith Ryan Cartwright not only chronicles a series of brave and pioneering lives; he also fills in a missing and vital piece of America's cultural history. -Alan Light, SiriusXM Host, best-selling author and former editor-in-chief of Vibe and Spin magazines