Maria Sten Instagram – cowboy • derived from the Spanish word ‘vaquero’ in the 1500s in Mexico, and introduced in the US in the 1700s when ranching made its way into American culture.
Historians estimate 1 in 4 cowboys in the US in the 19th century were black. Before the Civil War, slaves were used to tend cattle. After the Civil War, it was one of the few paid jobs that black people were allowed to do. Because the help was needed.
Though racism, discrimination and patriarchy have always permeated American culture, what I love about cowboy culture is that the horse is the great equalizer, transcending both race and gender. No matter where you’re from, what you look like or what language you speak, every cowboy speaks ‘horse’. So long as you can ride accordingly.
I was obsessed with westerns growing up, but I yearned to see myself reflected in these stories because I felt like my spirit was already a part of them. Yet when we look at film and tv and media, black cowboys are still significantly underrepresented through the narratives of the American West.
(I’m working on it, trust me.)
While I am, who else thinks it would be cool if @stetsonusa did a #BlackHistoryMonth campaign to celebrate #BlackCowboys ?
Me and my 150th Anniversary Edition Stratoliner Caribou Stetson think so. Just saying.
#itsastetson | Posted on 04/Feb/2021 01:41:51
