Black Rodeo: A History of the African American Western

African American westerns have a rich cinematic history and visual culture. Mia Mask examines the African American western hero within the larger context of film history, exploring how Black westerns evolved and approached wide-ranging goals. The book also discusses blaxploitation westerns and an analysis of Jeff Kanews hard-to-find 1972 documentary about an all-Black rodeo, which set the stage for modern-day westploitation films like Django Unchained.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2023
Publisher: University of Illinois Press

African American westerns have a rich cinematic history and visual culture. Mia Mask delves into the examination of the African American western hero within the broader context of film history, exploring how Black westerns evolved and approached various goals. The transformation of Woody Strode from a football star to an actor in the 1950s marked the emergence of hard-edged western heroes, later portrayed by Jim Brown and Fred Williamson. Sidney Poitier's Buck and the Preacher, directed by an African American, offered groundbreaking roles for women. Mask then shifts to discuss blaxploitation westerns and an analysis of Jeff Kanews hard-to-find 1972 documentary, Black Rodeo, which sheds light on the all-Black rodeo. The book addresses how these movies laid the groundwork for modern-day westploitation films, such as Django Unchained.

A groundbreaking survey, Black Rodeo, provides a unique perspective by illuminating the figure of the Black cowboy while examining the intersection of African American film history and the western. This comprehensive examination offers a deep understanding of the cultural significance of African American westerns and their enduring impact on the genre.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780252044878