Black Rodeo in the Texas Gulf Coast Region: Charcoal in the Ashes

Black Rodeo in the Texas Gulf Coast Region: Charcoal in the Ashes explores the history and contemporary state of African American rodeo cowboys in southeast Texas, highlighting their contributions to the Texas cattle industry and their marginalization in American history.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 142 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

Black Rodeo in the Texas Gulf Coast Region: Charcoal in the Ashes is a comprehensive sociocultural and historical analysis of the origins and current status of African American rodeo cowboys in southeast Texas, whose ancestors played a significant role in the development of the world's most renowned livestock management industry. The author meticulously traces the history of the Texas cattle industry from its Mexican roots to the George Plantation/Ranch, where African Americans were intimately involved in the livestock management industry since its inception. Despite being enslaved before, during, and after the Republic of Texas was established, they were early stakeholders in the expansion of the western frontier and provided indispensable labor that facilitated the burgeoning cattle industry. However, American history has often trivialized, marginalized, and blatantly omitted their contributions. This book shines a light on these early cowboys and their descendants who have participated in America's most prominent prole sport with little to no media exposure. The author aptly dubbed them "Shadow Riders of the Subterranean Circuit," and even though African American rodeo cowboys may be metaphorically seen as bits of charcoal spread among ashes, their contributions to the sport are undeniable.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781498574693