The little-known history of the Black ‘Concrete Cowboy’
In Philadelphia, a Black cowboy in a white undershirt and a gold chain wrangles a wayward horse. Teens pile hay and clean up manure near brick row houses. Men and women ride cantering horses down a city street as cars pass by.
These are scenes from “Concrete Cowboy,” a new Netflix movie starring Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin. But they’re also the reality in parts of north Philly, where the movie was filmed and a subculture of urban Black cowboys has existed for more than a century.
“It’s a real community that exists right now and has been part of Philadelphia … and other urban cities around America for over 100 years,” Elba said on the “Today” show earlier this month. “These communities had these beautiful animals as part of their lifeblood. And when the motorcars came, the Black folk kept the horses as part of the fabric of their communities.”
Randall Wagner
Abe Morris is a retired professional rodeo cowboy.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore the history and contributions of Black cowboys in the West, and how Black cowboy culture lives on in rodeos today. We’ll also revisit a conversation with Denver-based artist Narkita Gold about her project
Today’s guests include: Eleise Clark, a historian with the Black American West Museum; Abe Morris, rodeo announcer and retired professional rodeo cowboy; Denver-based artist, Narkita Gold; and Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro League Baseball Museum.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Summit Daily
Barney Ford is pictured in an illustration from the 1891 book History of the State of Colorado Volume III by Frank Hall. A new documentary on Ford’s life will premiere on the Rocky Mountain PBS YouTube channel Wednesday, Feb. 24.
Image from Sandra F. Mather Archives / Breckenridge Heritage Alliance
High on the wall behind the speaker’s desk in the House Chamber of the Colorado Capitol is a stained glass depiction of a man standing in front of a hotel on a boardwalk with a cane in one hand and a paper in the other.
Many might not know the story of the man whose name is adorned with columbines below his glass portrait, but that’s likely to change with the latest documentary in Rocky Mountain PBS’s “Colorado Experience” series.
New documentary tells the story of Breckenridge businessman Barney Ford summitdaily.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from summitdaily.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Barr Lake State Park, 13401 Picadilly Road, Brighton The majestic baldies are gathering again at Barr Lake State Park to court, build nests, and raise and fledge young later this spring and summer; you can learn all about them at the park’s ninth annual Bald Eagle Festival. Although reservations for guided hikes fill up fast, you’ll find a sign-up page here; other events, such as kids make-and-take eagle crafts and live half-hour eagle shows by Nature’s Educators at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. are first come, first served. RSVP at 303-659-6005 before you visit; programs are free, but a park pass is required. Learn more here.