New York City Federation of Black Cowboys facts for kids
The New York City Federation of Black Cowboys (FBC) is a special group that teaches people how to ride horses. They also help kids learn important life skills. Their main goal is to keep the amazing history of African-American cowboys from the Old West alive.
This group is based in a neighborhood called The Hole. It's a low-lying area between Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. The FBC offers fun educational tours and teaches young people how to ride horses. They also take part in public events. Sometimes, they even ride horses for 8 hours straight across Brooklyn!
Long ago, in the 1870s and 1880s, about one-fourth of all cowboys in the Western Frontier were African-American. The FBC honors this important part of history. They do this through programs for young people, exciting rodeos, and visits to schools. Horse riding also helps them teach kids valuable lessons. These lessons include patience, kindness, and how to get along with others.
Since 2019, the president of the FBC has been Kesha "Mama" Morse. She is the first woman to lead the organization.
History of the Black Cowboys Federation
The Federation of Black Cowboys officially started in 1994. They began by renting the Cedar Lane Stables in Queens from the Parks Department.
In 2012, a sad event happened at the Cedar Lane Stables. Six horses passed away. This led the city to close the stables so the Federation could fix them up.
The FBC used to be the only group that rented these stables. Their last rental agreement was in 2015. In February 2016, the FBC learned they would no longer be able to use the stables. Another group called GallopNYC took over. GallopNYC is a non-profit that helps people with disabilities through horse riding. Even so, New York City officials said the FBC has made a "positive historical contribution" to the community. They also praised their work with horse riding in New York City.
In 2019, the clothing company Wrangler made a short film about the FBC. This film was part of their Wrangler Legends video series.
On Juneteenth in 2022, the FBC worked with jazz musician Allan Harris. They presented a musical called Cross That River. It was shown at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan. The musical tells the story of "Blu," who escapes slavery to become a cowboy out west. This show was put on by NYC Parks, City College Center for the Arts, Jazzmobile, and Love Productions. That same year, the FBC was part of the Battery Park Juneteenth celebration. They shared a brief history of Juneteenth. After that, children could enjoy fun pony rides.
More About Black Cowboys
- Compton Cowboys
- Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club
- Oakland Black Cowboy Association
- African-American trail rides
