Black Cowboys of Rodeo: Unsung Heroes from Harlem to Hollywood and the American West - Hardcover

Cartwright, Keith Ryan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1496226100 ISBN 13: 9781496226105

Publisher: University of Nebraska Press, 2021

Synopsis

Winner of the 2023 Best Book Award from American Book Fest

They ride horses, rope calves, buck broncos, ride and fight bulls, and even wrestle steers. They are Black cowboys, and the legacies of their pursuits intersect with those of America’s struggle for racial equality, human rights, and social justice.
Keith Ryan Cartwright brings to life the stories of such pioneers as Cleo Hearn, the first Black cowboy to professionally rope in the Rodeo Cowboy Association; Myrtis Dightman, who became known as the Jackie Robinson of Rodeo after being the first Black cowboy to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo; and Tex Williams, the first Black cowboy to become a state high school rodeo champion in Texas.

Black Cowboys of Rodeo is a collection of one hundred years of stories, told by these revolutionary Black pioneers themselves and set against the backdrop of Reconstruction, Jim Crow, segregation, the civil rights movement, and eventually the integration of a racially divided country.

About this title

About the Author

Keith Ryan Cartwright is a communications specialist for the Rutherford County Board of Education in Tennessee, an adjunct professor at Middle Tennessee State University, and a journalist. He previously served as editorial director and senior writer for Professional Bull Riders Inc. and is the author of Professional Bull Riders: The Official Guide to the Toughest Sport on Earth. Danny L. Glover is an actor, producer, and humanitarian.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1496226100
• ISBN 13: 9781496226105
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 384