By HB magazine weekly staff | Hollywood Beat magazine | October 5, 2026
Lead Photo: Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
A new exhibition at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum explores the lives, work, and lasting legacy of Black cowboys who helped shape the American West.
THE EXHIBITION
The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum will present Black Cowboys: An American Story from October 9, 2026, through April 18, 2027.
Created by the Witte Museum in San Antonio, the exhibition examines the contributions of enslaved and free Black men, women, and children who worked on Texas ranches and participated in cattle drives from before the Civil War through the turn of the twentieth century.
Black Cowboys Made Up Around One In Four of The Cowboys You Would See On The Trail
Black cowboys represented approximately one in four cowboys on the trail. Their skills as horsemen, ranchers, lawmen, entrepreneurs, and cattle handlers played an important role in the development of the American West and Texas’ economy.
Visitors will see personal artifacts, historic photographs, and other materials that connect the experiences of Black cowboys to their continuing influence on American culture.
FROM THE RANCH TO RODEO
The exhibition explores the many roles Black cowboys held throughout American history. Visitors will learn how they trained horses, cared for livestock, and traveled thousands of miles with cattle.
Many later used those skills to build their own ranches, become lawmen, compete in rodeos, perform as entertainers, and appear in films.
Their influence continues today through music, film, fashion, design, and Western culture.
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HONORING CLEO HEARN
The Dallas exhibition features a special section dedicated to the late Cleo Hearn of Lancaster, Texas, who died in 2025.
Known as “Mr. Black Rodeo,” Hearn spent his life helping reclaim the place of Black cowboys in Western history and culture. He co-founded the American Black Cowboy Association and founded the Cowboys of Color Rodeo.
The exhibition includes several of Hearn’s personal artifacts, including a prize saddle, boots, spurs, and photographs. Together, the items provide a personal look at his work and lifelong commitment to preserving the legacy of Black cowboys.
“Black Cowboys: An American Story is a powerful exhibition that brings to life the remarkable men, women, and children who played a vital role in shaping the American West despite facing immense adversity,” said Mary Pat Higgins, president and CEO of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum.
Higgins said the museum hopes the exhibition will give visitors a broader understanding of the American West and encourage them to reconsider assumptions about the nation’s shared history.
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A COLLABORATIVE HISTORY
Michelle Everidge, Ph.D., CEO and president of the Witte Museum, said the exhibition was developed with a steering committee and advisors that included community leaders, scholars, Black cowboys, and ranchers.
“The individual stories of Black cowboys, illustrating courage in the face of discrimination, skill, despite great odds, and success through generations as ranchers and leaders in their field are powerful,” Everidge said.
SUPPORTING THE EXHIBITION
The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum thanked the Jean Baptiste “Tad” Adoue III Fund of The Dallas Foundation for its support, along with American Airlines, Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, H-E-B/Central Market, and NFI Industries.
The exhibition was developed by the Witte Museum in San Antonio. Bank of America presents the exhibition, with additional support from the John L. Santikos Charitable Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation, H-E-B, and Ed Rachal Foundation.
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Black Cowboys: An American Story
Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
October 9, 2026 through April 18, 2027
Tickets can be reserved through the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum’s website.
Hollywood Beat magazine
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