Although our society is growing and moving forward, there is still few people in the outskirts of cities that are still holding onto the cowboy lifestyle. Many of today African American cowboys are famously being known for rodeo or country music. Jason Griffin is one of them, a talented flashy rodeo entertainer also Darius Rucker is another famous African American figure but known mostly for his country music. I personally feel like modern cowboys are way different form past western frontier cowboys. For past cowboys to them “cowboy lifestyle” was a way of life unlike twenty-first century cowboys, it is fill with more of flashy entertainment. Even though African American cowboys have been around for many years, many younger generation do not believe a black man can be a cowboy. Only because it’s a piece of history forgotten and not taught about in our school system. Many African Americans either live a quite cowboy’s life in the outskirts of towns or are performers in the rodeo. Rodeo is one of the biggest outlet for African American cowboys. Jason Griffin is a modern day pioneering in leading the way for youths that argue a black man cannot be a cowboy. Griffin became the first African American to win College Rodeo Championship in 2003 a huge milestone for the sport (Journal of Black Higher Education). There are also many more well-known modern day cowboys. They hold various jobs such as sing, ranching, and farming an art many would not associate with African American.
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Annual African American Ceremony in Mississippi
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HARDAWAY, ROGER D. "AFRICAN AMERICAN COWBOYS ON THE WESTERN FRONTIER." NEGRO HISTORY BULLETIN 64.1-4 (2001): 27-32.
ANONYMOUS. "THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN COLLEGE RODEO CHAMPION." THE JOURNAL OF BLACKS IN HIGHER EDUCATION.67 (2010): 42-.
ANONYMOUS. "THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN COLLEGE RODEO CHAMPION." THE JOURNAL OF BLACKS IN HIGHER EDUCATION.67 (2010): 42-.