African American trail rides
African American trail rides, or Black trail rides, are rural parade-like celebrations that commemorate the traditions of Black cowboys and formerly enslaved Black Americans who were skilled in caring for and training livestock.[1] The tradition is most prevalent in the African American communities of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alabama.
Creole trail rides in Louisiana and Texas typically feature a "procession, zydeco music, dancing and feasting."[2] The annual Step-N-Strut trail ride in St. Landry Parish has been described as "the Creole Woodstock."[2] Trail rides are increasingly popular in Mississippi.[3]
These trail rides can include hundreds or thousands of riders, often organized by trail riding clubs.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Higgins, Alicia Barrera, Adam B. (2022-02-23). "Local organization aims to preserve Black cowboy culture through trail riding". KSAT. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Balsam, Joel (2018-09-21). "Black cowboys: Creole trail rides showcase unique culture". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
- ^ Giancarlo, Alexandra (Winter 2017). "Riders". 64 Parishes. Photographs by Jeremiah Ariaz. Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
- ^ Nir, Sarah Maslin (2025-06-04). "Down South, a Trail Ride is a Party on Horseback — and So Much More". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
Further reading
[edit]- Sluyter, Andrew (2012). Black Ranching Frontiers: Black Cattle Herders of the Atlantic World, 1500–1900. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300179927.
- Binkovitz, Leah (December 2022). "Circling the Herd: Houston's Black Trail Riders, Placemaking, and the Liberatory Potential of Second Sites". City & Community. 21 (4): 270–289. doi:10.1177/15356841221084263. ISSN 1535-6841. S2CID 247983898.
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