It’s not Texas, but it’s a list of black Westerns you can add to your watch list

Being black and a cowgirl or cowboy is nothing recent. America has a wealthy history steeped in historical figures and changemakers who were “rednecks,” bounty hunters, infamous lawmen, homesteaders, and cowboys and cowgirls. From renowned lawman Bass Reeves, an escaped slave who eventually became a U.S. Marshal, to Stagecoach Mary, one of America’s first women mail carriers, a historical trail Black cowboys and cowgirls run deep.

With the news of Beyonce’s country music album “Cowboy Carter” being released, interest in country music and its roots in Southern culture, in addition to Black Rodeo culture, has increased. Images and accurate representation matter, and black western movies are a smart way to learn more about cowboys, the South and the Midwest, and even the social, cultural, and ethnic integration that took place at key moments in American history on this farm . This Black Western-themed watchlist highlights movies from the Thirties to the current and present narratives that connect representation of Black cowgirlshistorical figures who were lawmen, Old Black Hollywood, and modern contemporary interpretations of Western motion movies.

(1939)

Watch now Pipes.

is a gem of a black western starring Old Black Hollywood actors resembling Clarence Brooks (Murder in Harlem), Spencer Williams (Amos and Andy), Herb Jeffries (“Harlem on the Prairie”), Artie Young (“Jump For Joy”) and Flournoy Miller (“Shuffle Along,” “The Colored Aristocrats”). When two cowboys go on an adventure, they find far more than they bargained for. When they get to the ranch, they discover that a murder has occurred and learn that the victim remains to be alive. There’s a villain, love at first sight, a plot to frame someone for murder, close calls and unlikely escapes. If you like classic acting without unnecessary bells and whistles and watching cowboys in motion, you will definitely appreciate this movie.

(1972)

Watch now Amazon Prime.

Directed by Sidney Poitier and Joseph Sargent, that is an action-packed, adventurous Western. After the Civil War, former slave and Union Army sergeant Buck (Sidney Poitier) becomes a wagon driver who leads freed slaves west in search of a higher life. Although Buck faces opposition from Southern plantation owners who hire outlaws to wreak havoc on his journey, Buck stays resilient and determined to help his fellow travelers reach their destination. As tensions rise and violence breaks out, Buck and black preacher Reverend Willis Oakes Rutherford (Harry Belafonte) join forces to tackle the ruthless DeShay gang and get better the stolen resources, against overwhelming odds. Their courage and determination drive them to seek justice and ensure freedom for those they lead, embodying resilience and a spirit of hope within the face of adversity.

(1975)

Watch now Pipes.

Directed by Fred Williamson, the film is about within the Western Frontier, and two Black men, Big Ben (Fred Williamson) and Sam Spade (Richard Pryor), develop an unlikely friendship. While Ben is honest and expert with weapons, Sam is a cunning trickster who relies on his own clever considering and plans. Sam’s constant deception strains their friendship, as he often leaves Ben to cope with the implications. The journey takes them through various cities, prisons and encounters with rivals in search of profits. Despite their adventures, most of their money is wasted on vices or lost to others. Their loyalty and partnership are tested by adversity, and their friendship hangs within the balance.

(1976)

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Directed by Larry G. Spangler and starring Fred Williamson, the film is about in a traditional old Western landscape. The character’s Joshua is a lone black vigilante searching for revenge for his mother’s murder. After getting back from fighting for the Union through the Civil War, Joshua discovers that a ruthless gang of white bandits has killed his mother and kidnapped his neighbor’s wife. Despite the sheriff’s failed attempts to apprehend the murderers, Joshua decides to take matters into his own hands and sets out on a mission to track down and eliminate the killers one after the other. If you like watching justice being served and heroes taking matters into their very own hands, make sure to watch this movie. takes viewers on a journey through the Wild West and presents a hero who methodically approaches his affairs, killing each bandit one after the other until he avenges all of his mother’s killers.

(1995)

Watch now Pipes.

Rarely do you hear stories of a white counterpart freeing the enslaved after which joining forces to start over in a recent land. But in Steven Hilliard Stern’s film, Britt Johnson (Tony Todd) is freed by Alan Johnson (Christopher Reeves) they usually form a bond that transcends racial barriers. Set within the late 1800s, it tells the story of how a formerly enslaved man, “The Black Fox,” restores peace between settlers and Native American tribes at a time when it was a contentious one. Stories of happiness and peace between Native Americans and white settlers are sometimes widespread, but they represent a reality which means Native Americans weren’t all that glad with the seizure of their land.

(2003)

Watch now Pipes.

When the previous leader of a women’s gang decides to avenge her sister’s death, she gathers a group of her old friends they usually return to the saddle to take care of their very own affairs. This action-packed, all-female Western drama adds a modern, contemporary tackle what happens when women are not considering being good girls, but quite out for “gold” and revenge. Starring the likes of Stacey Dash, Lisa Raye, Monica Calhoun, Lil’ Kim, Marie Matiko and Macy Gray, they definitely nod to black cowgirls and oppose the concept that women shouldn’t take matters into their very own hands once they have to.

(2012)

Watch now Hulu, Starz Or Amazon Prime.

It’s too easy to guess that Quentin Tarantino is solely focused on the narrative of runaway slave Django (Jamie Foxx) who sets out to rescue his German-speaking wife, Broomhilda Von Shaft (Kerry Washington) from the brutal Candyland plantation. . But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll see that it also highlights this a legacy of free black cowboys and outlaws who were bounty hunters and lawmen, and is probably going inspired by the legendary Black Marshal, Bass Reeves. If you enjoy learning the hard truths about slavery combined with a bit of humor, this is a superb watch. Not only does it reimagine what it might be like if the tables were turned and the enslaved carried the keys to chains and whips. The film also presents unique pieces of the history of plantation social norms, resembling “hot boxes” as a form of seclusion, the plantation owners’ barbaric fetish for watching “Mandigo fights” and “battle royales”, and the duplicitous nature of racism. For example, Calvin Candie was a brutal plantation owner, but he loved beautiful black women.

(2023)

Watch now Most vital+ AND Amazon Prime.

is a television series created by Chad Freehan that beautifully presents the story of one of the primary black deputy U.S. Marshals. Starring David Oyelowo, Demi Singleton and Lauren E. Banks, this television miniseries depicts a period in American history when many escaped and free slaves worked with Native Americans to catch criminals. Bass Reeves he was greater than just a cowboy, he was infamously often called one of the most effective lawmen within the midwest on the turn of the twentieth century.