Back in the era of the great Western cattle drives, around the 1860s-1880s, it’s estimated that a full quarter of the cowboys were Black. That legacy of Black droving lives on in the Bay Area with the Oakland Black Cowboy Association, which each year stages a lively parade with colorful attire and dancing horses.
“Founded in 1976, the Oakland Black Cowboy Association was created to bring the hidden stories of Black cowboys and cowgirls into the spotlight,” the association writes. “These pioneers were more than riders; they were heroes of the frontier. Today, we continue their legacy by celebrating their contributions and sharing their stories with the world.”
An Oakland Black Cowboy Association member and his daughter listen to speakers during Black Solidarity Week in Oakland in 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
There is plenty of cowpoke conviviality planned for the 52nd annual parade, which kicks off at West Oakland’s DeFremery Park. There will be food and local vendors and youth activities. Attendees can participate in line dancing, or take their child on their very first pony ride. And then there’s the procession itself, which in past years has drawn contingents from across America, like the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle.
As the cowboys take to the streets to trot past newfangled machinery like cars and Lime scooters, attendees should feel free to let loose with the association’s call-out: “Together we ride! Together we thrive!”
Details: Event takes place 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Oct. 3 (parade lines up at 9 a.m. and begins at 10 a.m.) at 1651 Adeline St., Oakland; oaklandbca.org