Letter: Montgomery's Black rodeo shows best aspects of the sport
Black cowboy culture is now featured in an Ancestry DNA commercial, NPR and NYT coverage, a photo book: Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture, and — of course — on Beyonce’s No. 1 recording, "Cowboy Carter."
Attending a performance of Black Rodeo at Garrett Coliseum this past weekend, I observed many variations on cowboy iconography: bedazzled cowboy hats, shredded denim cutoffs, lots of fringe, lots of leather. The music included anthems to Black cowgirls and line dance tunes punctuated with electronic blares.
The show itself, based on my only attendance at any rodeo of any kind, defied what I had been warned to expect: animal cruelty. On the contrary, riders appeared quite respectful, and the movement of horses and cattle appeared well choreographed to simulate the spectacle of capture. Even riders who lassoed cows soon dropped their ropes, allowing them to trail as cows bolted towards waiting pens. Although there was a bit of wrestling with cattle and a few rides on bucking bulls, even those seemed relatively tame and mostly symbolic of the rough-and-ready West. My favorite parts of the night were watching the marathon horse-and-baton races and seeing young cowgirls in timed rides. Witnessing the speed and majesty of the steed and grace and command of the riders was just awesome!
My biggest takeaway was that many Black people, like many other Americans, take pride and joy in the natural aspects of the sport: working with animals, working with their hands, and getting down-and-dirty with the land while having some clean fun!
Michelle Dacus Carr, Montgomery
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Letter: Montgomery's Black rodeo shows best aspects of the sport
