Photo Credit: Visit Arizona
You can say many things about Scottsdale: vibrant, fun, luxurious. One thing you wouldn’t often say about it is that it’s diverse however. Outside of south Scottsdale the city is often known as rather homogenous; in other words, very white. A recent event held in Scottsdale hopes to change that perception however, and break other stereotypes in the process.
The sport of rodeo is also seen as being quite homogenous and generally exclusive to white people in rural areas, but one group is shattering that stereotype. The Arizona Black Rodeo returned for its 13th annual event, and this time was held in WestWorld in Scottsdale. It has traditionally led to a packed house with up to 10,000 spectators, and this event was no different.
While not as visible, the number of Black cowboys in the post–Civil War cattle drives have been estimated to be north of 6,000. Around one-quarter were thought to be minorities, be them African-Americans, Mexicans, or Native Americans. The name “cowboy” actually has a racist history, as the whites who participated were called “cowhands” and minorities “cowboys” as a diminutive descriptor, but obviously that moniker has taken on a more universal meaning.
While black cowboys have always existed, they have traditionally been relegated to the dustbin of history, first as often not being allowed to be landowners, and then in popular culture, as cowboys in film and television were always represented by white actors such as John Wayne. The Arizona Black Rodeo has been extremely successful at demonstrating the vast amount of underrepresented talent that simply needed a venue to be showcased.
This event pulls in participants from around the country, with over 100 participants taking part in this iteration. Barrel racing and steer wrestling took center stage, and the event has had enough support that it will be expanding into Las Vegas for a show there in October.
Perhaps the biggest positive impact is the breaking of stereotypes and merging of cultures. Differences are bridged when we are able to identify and focus on what we have in common instead of that which divides us, and in a polarized political climate, we should be thankful that not only for at least one day stereotypes are broken, but a crowd of people who might not otherwise experience Scottsdale also get to see how great our city is.