Black cowboys

Black cowboys.

This is black history month. Many people are familiar with the Buffalo Soldiers and the Tuskgee Airmen but theres a little recognized culture that continues to this day since the beginning of the settling of the west. The Black Cowboy and ranches run by black men and women spread throughout the west. Right here in the Sacramento area was the Leidsdorf land grant, one of the largest land grants in northern california,.

Now we all recognize that the settling of america was an era that laid the foundation for all that is both bad and good about our culture. Its roots based in genocide, slavery, policies and institutions based in discrimination right alongside some of the grandest ideals of equality, justice, and democracy. Nevertheless, The horse, land, cattle, agriculture tilled a common ground between all cultures centered on livestock and agriculture, whether the lands are occupied by enslaved, ostracized or forcefully driven from their homelands, here or abroad. 

no mistake about it america is a confusing, frustrating, and dangerous culture but it is also as diverse as any on earth.

God, land, and family is the basic cowboy creed. Its universal. Like all cultures, it is mixed, diverse, and misunderstood, sometimes, depending on who's asking, stereotyped.

I was raised up on the tv cowboy...

Millions of boys, mostly white boys of the pre-boomer and boomer generation remained loyal to their country roots because the subdivision hadnt really come in to its day. 

My friends and i would play cowboys and indians and it wasnt always one sided toward the cowboy, id rather shoot the bow and arrow, bounce the knive against more than stick the tree, no, the real plight of the native american was no more a reality to me  at that young age than the segrgated schools we lived across town from. We werent tom paines nor thomas jeffersons but we were beginnig to get some sense of right and wrong.

 Men like Jim Bridger famous scout, i didnt know was black or Leadbelly writing Sweet lorraine, 



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