Oakland Black Cowboy Association facts for kids
The Oakland Black Cowboy Association booth at the Oakland Black Cowboy Parade and Festival
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| Formation | 1970s |
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| Founder | Lonnie Scoggins/Booker Emery |
| Headquarters | Oakland, California |
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President
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Wilbert McAlister |
The Oakland Black Cowboy Association (OBCA) is a group in Oakland, California. It's a non-profit which means it works for a good cause, not for money. Their main goal is to celebrate the history of Black cowboys. Every year, they put on the exciting Oakland Black Cowboy Parade and Festival.
The Story of OBCA
Before the OBCA officially started, in the 1960s and 70s, a man named Booker Emery would ride his horse in Oakland. He gathered friends who also rode horses, and people loved seeing them.
The OBCA says it began in 1974. The very first Oakland Black Cowboy Parade happened in 1975. It was part of a special exhibit at the Oakland Museum called "Blacks in the West."
In 1976, the OBCA officially became a group. It was part of a larger organization called Blacks Unified to Motivate Progress. They worked with a business group, Oakland Traders, to plan the next parade. The first parade leader, called a grand marshal, was Lonnie Scoggins. He was a former cowboy and is sometimes seen as a founder of the group, along with Booker Emery. Since 1977, the OBCA has organized and paid for the parade themselves.
What OBCA Does
The main goal of the OBCA is to teach everyone in Oakland and the Bay Area about the important part Black cowboys played. They also teach about other pioneers who helped settle the American West.
Besides the parade and festival, the OBCA also takes part in many community events. They work with Oakland's Parks, Recreation and Youth Development agency on different activities. Members of the OBCA visit schools and church events to give presentations. They have also helped with the census outreach, helping people fill out important forms.
The Parade and Festival
The Oakland Black Cowboy Parade and Festival happens every year. It takes place on the first weekend of October in DeFremery Park. During the parade, OBCA members and young people ride horses together. They even do special dances with their horses!
The parades often include many different groups. For example, past parades have featured drill teams from high schools and colleges. There were also square dancing groups and a Buffalo Soldiers reenactment group from Seattle. A group of Hispanic riders from San Jose, Girl Scouts, and circus groups have also joined in. Some of the riders even let festival visitors take short rides on their horses.
OBCA's Impact
The important papers and records of the Oakland Black Cowboy Association are kept safe. They are stored at the African American Museum and Library at Oakland. A writer named Ismael Reed wrote a little about the OBCA and the parade. He included it in his book Blues City: A Walk in Oakland.
In 2021, a short movie was made about the OBCA. It was created by James Manson and John Gamiño. The movie focused on the OBCA and its long-time president, Wilbert Freeman McAlister.
