A history of black cowgirl culture, ahead of Beyonce’s new album

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Black cowboys, including Nat Love – who published his 1907 autobiography The Life and Adventures of Nat Love – and Bill Pickett, were just like the white Texan, Mexican and Indian folk heroes and villains, but their contribution to cowboy culture is often overlooked in popular culture, classic Western films and literature, despite it being deep, vast and rich. Valeria Howard Cunningham, owner and president of Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo said: “The heritage of black cowgirl culture traces its roots back to the 19th century. Despite their integral role in shaping Western culture, black cowgirls, like their male counterparts, often faced exclusion and resistance, underscoring the ongoing struggle for recognition within their own legacy.” Michael R Grauer, McCasland chair of cowboy culture and the curator of cowboy collections and western art at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum added: “Black rodeos ultimately gave rise to African-American women performers and competitors, largely after WWII. North Carolina native Caitlin Gooch, also known as The Black Cowgirl, grew up watching her father doing trail rides, rodeos and working other horse farms and started riding horses at age three.