Racism suppressed the legacy of Black cowboys –this is starting to change

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Expectant audiences may be surprised to find out that the classic plot, featuring an ex-gunslinger seeking revenge on an old nemesis who has busted out of prison, also encapsulates and references the real Black history of the American West as well as several old, Black westerns. The recently deceased Michael K Williams of The Wire fame played Nat Love in the 2013 Black western movie, They Die By Dawn, which also starred Rosario Dawson. ‘The Harder They Fall’ references the real Black history of the American West Zazie Beetz, best known for her role in Deadpool, plays Stagecoach Mary. In They Die By Dawn, Erykah Badu also played a character called Stagecoach Mary, although neither Badu nor Beetz bear any resemblance to the real Stagecoach Mary.