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Black Cowboys Ride into the Spotlight
20 Nov
Summary
- Documentary challenges the myth of an all-white Wild West.
- Black cowboys comprised about 25% of all cowboys historically.
- Peacock documentary explores African American influence on the West.
The documentary "High Horse: The Black Cowboy" is making waves by bringing the often-overlooked history of Black cowboys to the forefront. Produced by Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions, this series aims to challenge Hollywood's typically whitewashed portrayal of the Wild West. Through archival footage and interviews with notable figures, it seeks to correct the historical record and highlight the substantial contributions of African Americans to cowboy culture.
The series emphasizes that Black cowboys represented a significant portion, estimated at 25%, of all cowboys in the late 19th century, a fact largely ignored by popular culture. Peele himself notes that the myth of exclusively white cowboys is a product of Hollywood's romanticized and inaccurate depictions of a brutal era. The documentary seeks to dismantle this exclusionary iconography.
"High Horse: The Black Cowboy" not only revisits history but also connects it to contemporary cultural movements, such as the "Yeehaw Agenda" championed by artists like Beyoncé and Lil Nas X. The documentary's release on Peacock aims to enhance the ongoing reclaiming of Black cowboy culture, making Western representation more inclusive and accurate for modern audiences.
