The forgotten history of Black cowboys in the Coastal Bend

During Black History Month, 3NEWS is highlighting the legacy of Black cowboys past and present, and the impact they continue to have across South Texas.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — During Black History Month, 3NEWS is taking a look into highlighting the legacy of Black cowboys past and present, and the impact they continue to have across the Coastal Bend.

Stephenie Rhodes said songs help connect her to her late grandfather, S.W. “Tony” Lott, who worked as a ‘cowhand’ with his brothers at the O’Connor Welder Ranch in Refugio County in the 1920s and 1930s.

“When I rose this morning, I didn’t have no doubt… And he’ll say, time, time, time… ‘time has made a change,'” Rhodes sang.

“Because he was really speaking, time had made a change,” she said.

Rhodes said her grandfather and other cowboys sang while working.

“That was something that they would do while they were in the field,” Rhodes said. “Those songs resonated and they carried over into the church.”

Lott eventually moved to Corpus Christi and became a deacon, bringing the same work ethic with him, “working from can’t to can’t, or dusk until dawn,” Rhodes said.

“Still had his cowboy boots and we would have to watch him shine and clean those. The attire, he still had his shirts, the jeans that they wore,” she said.

Today, D.H. Coleman continues that legacy in his own way as a rodeo rider and owner of Corpus Christi Carriages. For him, the work is about more than horses.

“Some people see these horses, and you don’t know what type of day they may have been having,” Coleman said.

He said his livelihood is also about teaching, learning and connecting with others.

“The white counterparts would be called cowhands and the Blacks would be called cowboys,” Coleman said. “They even called 50, 60 year old men boys. You know, uncles and grandfathers, they were referred to as boys. And they used that term to negate their identity.”

Coleman said he hopes people can come together through their shared appreciation of horses.

“Educate and make connections, and make relationships for the equine industry. It’s been a blessing,” Coleman said.

Throughout Black History Month, 3NEWS will introduce viewers to more local leaders and community members making an impact in the Coastal Bend.