Riding Back Into History: "High Horse: The Black Cowboy" Reclaims the Real West

Westerns never resonated with me growing up. While I was in love with the genre’s visuals—the tumbleweeds, dusty boots, point-blank gunfights, and big open skies—I simply never saw anyone like me, a young Black child, straddling a horse and living the cowboy life.  It wasn’t that I lacked imagination or vision; it was a lack of inclusion in the creative work I consumed. 

It wasn’t until the late eighties, after catching a triple feature of “Buck and the Preacher”, “Adios Amigo”, and “Thomasine & Bushrod”, that my eyes were opened to the genre. Black cowboys were my entire point of entry into the world of westerns. Dapper. Swagger. Nuanced. Black cowboys made the Old West more honest and more whole.

“Peacock’s High Horse: The Black Cowboy” continues the work of centering and reclamation with a precision, reverence, and cultural clarity that is all too rare in Western-focused projects. Monkeypaw Productions and Universal Television Alternative Studio’s new documentary series examines the largely forgotten history of Black cowboys and cowgirls throughout the West while also digging deep into the impact that history has had and continues to have on Black culture and identity.

Directed by Jason Perez, the series smartly weaves in archival imagery and footage, modern voices and commentary, and even pop culture and current news connections to create a project that is simultaneously instructive without feeling pedantic and stylish without feeling superficial. 

It is clear from the vision of the series as well as the creatives behind the project that Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Keisha Senter, Jamal Watson, and company have been immersed in the long and complex history of the American West that is so often reduced, whitewashed, and commodified, from these amazing cowboys and cowgirls who long predate Hollywood’s reinvention of history.

The roster of interviewees is the cultural equivalent of cracking a code. Peele’s voice is an anchor, occasionally interjecting wry, acerbic truth bombs that will no doubt have viewers taking notes. Guests like Pam Grier, Bun B, Rick Ross, Tina Knowles, Blanco Brown, Glynn Turman, Lynae Vanee, and The Compton Cowboys bring intergenerational, cross-generational voices that remind viewers that the complex, rich, and often harrowing history of Black cowboys is woven into the fabric of modern life.

Composer Raphael Saadiq’s work should also be noted. The music he has created for the series blurs the traditional with modern soul, grounding it in grit and grace. “High Horse: The Black Cowboy” is about more than clearing the record. It’s about broadening the scope and challenging audiences to rethink the narrative they were taught about the West and who got to shape it. 

As someone who, like so many other Black people, grew up believing cowboys were not for us, for me, this series is a long-overdue homecoming. “High Horse: The Black Cowboy” is a thoughtful, poignant, and culturally necessary documentary series.

Final Grade: A

“HIGH HORSE: THE BLACK COWBOY” is streaming on Peacock now.