Westward Ho! Lost History of the Black West Reprise
The western is back, and Netflix is riding high on its version The Harder They Fall. Join Dr. Carol François and her niece, Kourtney Square as they reprise their ride into the West sharing how Black/African Americans contributed to the country’s westward expansion. You’ll hear about Bass Reeves, who makes an appearance in the film, as well as exploits of pioneers and settlers you’ve probably never heard of before.
Citations
“Lawman legend Bass Reeves: the invincible man-hunter,” https://www.historynet.com/lawman-legend-bass-reeves-invincible-man-hunter.htm
The Bone and Sinew of the Land: America’s Forgotten Black Pioneers and the Struggle for Equality, by Anna-Lisa Cox.
The Black West: A Documentary and Pictorial History of the African American Role in the Westward Expansion of the United States, by William Loren Katz.
“The life and times of deputy U.S. marshall Bass Reeves,” https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/33537/life-and-times-deputy-us-marshal-bass-reeves#:~:text=Over%20his%2032%2Dyear%20career,and%20was%20never%20shot%20himself.
“Was the real Lone Ranger a black man?,” https://www.history.com/news/bass-reeves-real-lone-ranger-a-black-man
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