Newsletter

BLSU x LV Present: True Legacy of African American and Mexican Cowboys

By Eva Jo McIlraith

April 2, 2026

Students engaged with the history of Vaqueros and Black cowboys in conversation and discussion on the evening of Friday, February 26th in the DMC Living Room. Organizers from La Vanguardia (LV) and the Black and Latine Student Union (BLSU) joined forces to educate students on the foundation for the American cowboy, crediting agricultural styles, fashion, civil rights progress, and historic battles to the Mexican and Black cowboys.

Student organizers began the meeting with a composite presentation on the history and influence of the Vaqueros. Following the civil war, the U.S. witnessed the Great Cowboy Strike, where Vaqueros led the fight by peacefully protesting for better wages and fighting corporate invasion of local ranches. Around the same time, the West saw an influx of post-war African American migration and the emergence of Black cowboys on the backs of the recently won emancipation, drawn to the region by high employment opportunities from the cattle boom. They faced their own unique challenges of being pushed out by sharecroppers and oppressive Black codes. 

The existence of both groups in the West created a unique blend of ethnic and regional backgrounds, allowing for contributions that evolved the cowboy industry to what it is today. Organizers named revolutionary Pancho Villa, a benevolent outlaw known for his role in the Mexican Revolution and his “Robin Hood” character who fought the rich for peasant land rights. Author Nat Love was also acknowledged for his documentation of his experiences as a Black cowboy, alongside Bill Pickett, who was the first African American inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame for his contribution of bull dodging. Organizers ended the evening rewriting the history of western cowboys to include Vaqueros and Black cowboys, two groups that have been historically erased by Hollywood and historical rendition of the period.

The evening closed not just with new knowledge, but a shared sense of responsibility to remember, recognize, and rewrite the history that has been told before. By reclaiming the stories of Vaqueros and Black cowboys, organizers and attendees challenged the narrow narratives that have long defined the American West, replacing them with a richer, more truthful account of its past. The event stood as a powerful reminder that history is not fixed, but shaped by whose voices are heard and uplifted. Through conversation, reflection, and community, students left with a deeper understanding that honoring these legacies is not only about the past, but is about reshaping the stories we carry forward.