History of Black Cowboys in America
Brother John Anderson of Springboard portrayed Cowboy John at “Tales from the Black West” at Walker Elementary School in the Hazelwood School District. The presentation teaches students lessons about the history of black cowboys in the United States.
The history of black cowboys in the United States was a unique, fun lesson for students at Walker Elementary School in the Hazelwood School District.
In recognition of Black History Month, storyteller Brother John Anderson from Springboard shared “Tales from the Black West” with students in first through fifth grades. The assembly in the gymnasium involved music, stories and original songs to “highlight the American cowboy and the many African-Americans who helped shape and tame ‘The Old West.”
The description for “Tales from the Black West” from the Springboard Web site states that the “cowboy occupation appealed to many freed slaves following the Civil War.
It is estimated that about 15 percent of all cowboys were of African-American ancestry.”
Anderson appeared as Cowboy John, dressed in boots and jeans, wearing a vest, a shiny belt buckle and a cowboy hat. Sitting on the floor, leaning against a large “boulder,” he played the harmonica to set the tone. As he stood up, he smiled and in an accent to reflect days of old, he asked the students to join him in singing “Home on the Range.”
After the song, Cowboy John asked, “What is a cowboy?” The responses varied from “somebody who protects cattle” to “someone who rides horses” to “a person who rounds up cows.” “Good!” he exclaimed, and then explained some aspects of the role of a cowboy.
“There were cattle trails throughout the West, leading to rail centers in Kansas City, Dodge City, St. Louis and Denver,” he said. “The job of the cowboy was to walk cattle to rail centers.”
He followed the explanation with a call-and-response song titled “I Betcha Didn’t Know.” When Cowboy John pointed to the left side of the gym, the students called out “I betcha didn’t know,” and right side of the room responded, “What?” Then, Cowboy John would sing facts about black cowboys. Students kept the rhythm by clapping. The facts mentioned slaves who escaped to Mexico and learned about being cowboys from vaqueros and African-Americans who lived among Native Americans.
Cowboy John’s overall message to the students was of integrity and responsibility, having dreams and achieving them, and having determination. (story provided by Hazelwood District Communications Dept.)
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