We Were There Then, We're Here Now!
Take a good look at this photo.
Look closely. What you see is not just Black excellence it’s Black legacy stitched into the very fabric of American history. These proud, bold, unstoppable Black cowboys and cowgirls were not sidekicks in history’s story. They were the story.
The image you're looking at is a reminder that the story of America. Yes, including the story of country music, of the open frontier, of cowboy grit cannot and must not be told without recognising the contributions of Black Americans.
You see, the roots of country music don’t just run through dusty towns and Grand Ole Opry stages. No, my brothers and sisters, they reach back to the songs of the enslaved . The spirituals, the work songs, the field hollers and the blues birthed in bondage but soaring with soul. That’s the real music of America. That’s the sound of survival. The sound of faith when the world tried to crush it. The heartbeat that taught this nation rhythm itself.
Black folks exist everywhere. Not just in the shadows. Not just hidden behind the scenes. We are the architects of culture. The engineers of soul. The unsung heroes whose melodies, struggles and brilliance still breathe life into every beat, every note, every story this country tries to tell.
Country music owes us more than an acknowledgment; it owes us a standing ovation. Because long before the world crowned kings and queens of country, there were Black men and women crafting the sounds that would carry the heartache and hope of a nation. Guitar strums. Fiddle cries. Foot-stomping rhythms. Black fingerprints are all over them.
And let’s be clear, Black cowboys weren’t rare novelties. They made up nearly one in four cowboys in the Wild West! They roamed the ranges, protected the herds and held down the towns. Yet how often have we been left out of the Westerns? Erased from the stages? Hidden from the history books?
Baby, we are here. We have always been here.
Every month we breathe life into the truth. We vibrate higher. We honour the ancestors who sang when their voices were chains, who stood tall when the world tried to beat them down.
We are not asking for a seat at the table, we built the table!
Remember this when you turn on a country song, when you walk into a hall of fame, when you hear tales of cowboys and frontier justice: a piece of us is in every story.
We are not footnotes. We are the headline
