Black Cowboy Co.

Rancher leaning on fence with cows and two saddled horses in front of a red barn

Black Cowboy Coalition

Honoring the legacy of riders whose contributions have been historically overlooked while equipping today’s youth and adults to lead on land and in life.

Origins

The Black Cowboy Coalition began with a simple question and an Excel spreadsheet.

In 2020, we set out to identify where Black owned barns and ranches were located across the United States. What started as a grassroots effort to gather information quickly evolved into something much larger. Once the data was compiled, we recognized the importance of making it accessible to others. From that realization, the Black Cowboy Directory was born, an interactive database created to connect the public with Black owned agricultural spaces nationwide.

As we continued exploring the culture firsthand, attending rodeos and trail rides, we were exposed to a vibrant and deeply rooted tradition that had long existed outside of mainstream visibility. This was before trail rides gained widespread attention beyond the families and communities who have preserved these gatherings for generations. In response, we launched our social media platforms to offer an authentic look into Southeastern trail rides and the rich, often overlooked culture surrounding them.

As trail rides grew in popularity and became a staple event within Black and Brown communities, our work expanded alongside them. Through deeper engagement, we recognized that thousands of Black cowboys and cowgirls located in various states across the country and beyond, were still not being properly represented. We made it our mission to change that by highlighting their stories, their work, and their contributions to agriculture.

Our goal has always been to present a truthful and complete narrative. Black cowboys and cowgirls are not rare or mythical figures. They are a living and essential part of American history and global agricultural culture.

Today, the Black Cowboy Coalition has grown into a national organization offering workshops, educational programs, and community events. We are proud to serve as a trusted and recognizable presence within both the national and international agricultural community, continuing to educate, connect, and uplift the legacy of Black cowboys and cowgirls.

Three cowboys on horseback herding cattle on a dirt trail

Impact On Trails And Beyond

In partnership with ranches, schools, and community organizations, we’ve led hands on workshops, hosted community engagement events, and created access points for youth and adults to learn, connect, and grow through horsemanship and land based experiences.

A close-up, photographic view of a glossy, dark-chestnut horse’s saddle pad draped over a stall door, embroidered with a refined Black Cowboy Coalition logo in black and gold thread. The stall door is made of smooth, dark-stained wood with neatly spaced vertical metal bars, and a brass nameplate engraved with a dignified horse name. In the softly blurred background, clean hay bales, neatly hung bridles, and labeled storage trunks suggest a well-run educational ranch facility. Warm, overhead barn lighting mixes with faint natural daylight from a side window, casting soft highlights on the embroidery and subtle shadows in the wood grain. Shot slightly from the side with a shallow depth of field, the mood is proud, meticulous, and mission-driven, underscoring the coalition’s professionalism.
A well-used black leather western saddle with intricate hand-tooled floral patterns and silver conchos resting across the top rail of a weathered wooden corral fence. Behind it stretches an open prairie of golden-brown grass and scattered mesquite trees under a vast blue sky with distant low hills. Late afternoon sunlight casts a warm, golden glow, highlighting the saddle’s smooth worn seat and the rough grain of the fence, with soft, elongated shadows falling toward the viewer. Photographic realism at eye level, using a shallow depth of field so the saddle is in crisp focus while the landscape gently blurs. The mood is proud, timeless, and professional, evoking the enduring presence of Black cowboy heritage across the American West.
An expansive, neatly maintained urban community garden with long rows of raised wooden beds filled with vibrant collard greens, okra, tomatoes, and sunflowers, symbolizing agricultural education. Each bed is bordered by clean gravel pathways leading toward a sturdy red barn-style shed in the distance. A small, hand-painted sign at the front reads “Black Cowboy Coalition Agriculture Program” in bold, professional lettering. Early morning natural light casts a soft, cool glow, with dew glistening on broad green leaves. Photographic realism from a wide, eye-level composition, sharp focus throughout to emphasize order and growth. The mood is hopeful, structured, and empowering, reflecting community-based learning and leadership rooted in land stewardship and Black cowboy traditions.