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.”
The little-known history of the Black Concrete Cowboy krdo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from krdo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
CinemaBlend
After watching
Concrete Cowboy you may be wondering whatâs the deal with the Fletcher Street Stables and the background on the legacy of people riding horses in Philadelphia. Just like some other Idris Elba movies and TV shows, this aspect of the Netflix original is based on a rich and storied history in the âCity of Brotherly Loveâ and has actually played a vital role in the lives of countless urban cowboys for more than a century now.
If youâre wanting to know more about the Fletcher Street Stables, the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, and the fascinating history of the African-American cowboys throughout the city of Philadelphia, then youâve come to the right place. Here are five things to know about the Fletcher Street Stables, its history, and its future after watching the gripping
Jessica KourkounisNetflix
Gentrification, or what can also be described as modern-day colonialism, has always been an invasive parasitic process and a severe detriment to the Black community. In North Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion neighborhood, gentrification and harmful city mandates are threatening the survival of the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club (FSURC), a Black-owned and -operated horseback-riding group that mentors neighborhood children by teaching the century-long tradition of urban horsemanship. The community s fight has gained plenty of media coverage and, more recently, has made its way to the screen with Netflix’s
The film introduces a new kind of Western, one that isn’t set on the ranch, but instead on busy city streets. It features Caleb McLaughlin as Cole, a teen who after getting in trouble at school is sent to live with his estranged father and Fletcher Street stable owner, Harp (played by Idris Elba). The story is 100 percent fictionalized and based
The True Story of the Black Cowboys of Philadelphia Depicted in Concrete Cowboy msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.