Black History

Black Cowboy William Pickett Invented Rodeo Event Called ‘Bulldogging’

As a young boy he’d watched herder dogs subdue huge steers by biting their upper lips. At around age 10, he decided to do the same but by using his own technique.

Published

3 years ago

September 29, 2021

Christy Price

Wilson Pickett

It was in the state of Texas that the cowboy lifestyle came into its own. The state’s vast lands had been populated with cattle since it was colonized by Spain in the 1500s. By the 1800s, millions of cattle grazed there, making cattle farming a “bountiful economic and cultural phenomenon,” according to author Katie Nodjimbadem.

Images depicted in movies and television shows of these cattle ranchers (cowboys) have mostly been of white Americans. Although Black cowboys “don’t play a part in the popular narrative, historians estimate that one in four cowboys were Black,” Nodjimbadem wrote. One of them was William Pickett (ca. 1870–1932), who became a cowboy after completing the fifth grade.
Records show that Pickett was born in 1870 in western Williamson County.

As a young boy he’d watched herder dogs subdue huge steers by biting their upper lips. At around age 10, he decided to do the same but by using his own technique. After perfecting a unique way of steer wrestling -or bulldogging– and roping and riding he began performing stunts at public events.

Steer wrestling, a rodeo event during which a mounted cowboy (or bulldogger) races alongside and then tackles a full-grown steer, was invented by Pickett. If a cowboy is experienced, he can wrestle a steer to the ground in five to eight seconds. Standing at only five feet, seven inches tall and weighing 145 pounds, Pickett used his signature move to grab a steer by its horns, twist its neck, and bite it on one lip.

The 500–600-pound animal would then fall backward, allowing Pickett to pull it to the ground.
Once the steer was on its side with all four of its feet pointing in the same direction, Pickett was done. This rapidly became a popular contest at cowboy events, later becoming a standard of contemporary rodeo. Bulldogging however, has since been modified to reduce danger to the steer.

By 1903, Pickett’s career had taken off. This success spurred Dave McClure, an event promoter, to dub Pickett the “Dusky Demon” and bill him as the “most daring cowboy alive.”

According to Texas history writer Lori Grossman, the term ‘dusky’ was “intended to disguise Pickett’s ethnicity whenever white cowboys shied from appearing on the same program as an African-American man.”

Pickett competed in rodeos large and small, yet amassing a significant record as a competitor was impossible. Although Blacks had not been officially barred from most contests, he was often billed as a Native American or not identified as Black.

The Wild West’s heyday quieted after World War I. Pickett’s show, the 101 Ranch Wild West Show, where he had been a headliner for 26 years, closed down in 1931. He died the following year after a horse kicked him in the head.

Forty years after his death, Pickett became the first black honoree in the National Rodeo Hall of fame. In 1989, he was enshrined in the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

Versions of Pickett’s bulldogging are still performed by rodeo athletes today.

Christy Price

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

6 days ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Black History

Matthew Henson: Explorer Extraordinaire

Matthew Henson, a trailblazing explorer who overcame countless obstacles to leave an incredible mark on history. Born on August 8, 1866, in Charles County, Maryland, his journey is a testament to the power of determination and the spirit of adventure.

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Matthew Henson (File Photo)

By Tamara Shiloh

Henson’s life began amidst the backdrop of post-Civil War America, where opportunities for African Americans were scarce. From a young age, he possessed an insatiable curiosity about the world beyond his small town. At the age of 12, he embarked on a journey that would change the course of his life forever when he joined a merchant ship as a cabin boy.

His most famous expedition was his journey to the Arctic with renowned explorer Robert E. Peary. In 1887, Henson joined Peary’s crew as a seaman and quickly proved himself to be invaluable with his skills as a navigator and craftsman. Over the course of several expeditions, Matthew endured extreme cold, treacherous terrain, and grueling conditions as he and Peary sought to reach the elusive North Pole.

In 1908–09, Peary set out on his eighth attempt to reach the North Pole. It was a big expedition, with Peary planning to leave supplies along the way. When he and Henson boarded their ship, the Roosevelt, leaving Greenland on August 18, 1909, they were joined by a large group. This included 22 Inuit men, 17 Inuit women, 10 children, 246 dogs, 70 tons of whale meat, blubber from 50 walruses, hunting gear, and tons of coal.

In February, Henson and Peary left their anchored ship at Ellesmere Island’s Cape Sheridan, along with the Inuit men and 130 dogs. They worked together to set up a trail and supplies along the way to the Pole.

Peary picked Henson and four Inuit people to join him in the final push to the Pole. However, before they reached their destination, Peary couldn’t walk anymore and had to ride in a dog sled. He sent Henson ahead to scout the way. In a later interview with a newspaper, Henson recalled being in the lead and realizing they had gone too far. The group turned back, and Henson noticed his footprints helped guide them to their destination. At that location, Henson planted the American flag.

Henson’s legacy extends far beyond his expeditions to the Arctic. He shattered racial barriers in the world of exploration and inspired countless individuals, regardless of race, to dream big and pursue their passions. In 1937, he was finally recognized for his achievements when he was inducted into The Explorers Club, an organization dedicated to promoting scientific exploration and field research.

Matthew Henson died in the Bronx, New York, on March 9, 1955, at the age of 88.

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Art

Marin County: A Snapshot of California’s Black History Is on Display

The Marin County Office of Education, located at 1111 Las Gallinas Ave in San Rafael, will host the extraordinary exhibit, “The Legacy of Marin City: A California Black History Story (1942-1960),” from Feb. 1 to May 31, 2024. The interactive, historical, and immersive exhibit featuring memorabilia from Black shipyard workers who migrated from the South to the West Coast to work at the Marinship shipyard will provide an enriching experience for students and school staff. Community organizations will also be invited to tour the exhibit.

Published

1 week ago

April 16, 2024

Oakland Post

Early photo of Marin City in the exhibit showing the first department store, barber shop, and liquor store. (Photo by Godfrey Lee)

By Post Staff

The interactive, historical, and immersive exhibit featuring memorabilia from Black shipyard workers who migrated from the South to the West Coast to work at the Marinship shipyard will provide an enriching experience for students and school staff. Community organizations will also be invited to tour the exhibit.

All will have the opportunity to visit and be guided by its curator Felecia Gaston.

The exhibit will include photographs, articles and artifacts about the Black experience in Marin City from 1942 to 1960 from the Felecia Gaston Collection, the Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, The Ruth Marion and Pirkle Jones Collection, The Bancroft Library, and the Daniel Ruark Collection.

It also features contemporary original artwork by Chuck D of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Public Enemy, clay sculptures by San Francisco-based artist Kaytea Petro, and art pieces made by Marin City youth in collaboration with Lynn Sondag, Associate Professor of Art at Dominican University of California.

The exhibit explores how Marin City residents endured housing inequities over the years and captures the history of plans to remove Black residents from the area after World War II. Throughout, it embodies the spirit of survival and endurance that emboldened the people who made Marin City home.

Felecia Gaston is the author of the commemorative book, ‘A Brand New Start…This is Home: The Story of World War II Marinship and the Legacy of Marin City.’ Thanks to the generous contribution of benefactors, a set of Felecia’s book will be placed in every public elementary, middle, and high school library in Marin.

In addition, educators and librarians at each school will have the opportunity to engage with Felecia in a review of best practices for utilizing the valuable primary sources within the book.

“Our goal is to provide students with the opportunity to learn from these significant and historical contributions to Marin County, California, and the United States,” said John Carroll, Marin County Superintendent of Schools.

“By engaging with Felecia’s book and then visiting the exhibit, students will be able to further connect their knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of this significant historical period,” Carroll continued.

Felecia Gaston adds, “The Marin County Office of Education’s decision to bring the Marin City Historical Traveling Exhibit and publication, ‘A Brand New Start…This is Home’ to young students is intentional and plays a substantial role in the educational world. It is imperative that our community knows the contributions of Marin City Black residents to Marin County. Our youth are best placed to lead this transformation.”

The Marin County Office of Education will host an Open House Reception of the exhibit’s debut on Feb. 1 from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.. All school staff, educators, librarians, and community members are encouraged to attend to preview the exhibit and connect with Felecia Gaston. To contact Gaston, email MarinCityLegacy@marinschools.org