The Secret Lives of Compton’s Cowboys

This. Is. Fascinating.

By The Editors
March 2, 2015 9:00 am

Heard of the Cowboys in Compton?

Not white rodeo dudes. Not cops in the Mark Fuhrman mold.

Rather: black men who gallop on horseback down the paved streets of South Central.

Their culture, active since the late 1800s, is about to vanish.

But an attempt to save their way of life is underway. It’s a documentary called Fire on the Hill, and you can help fund it on Kickstarter right now.

Theirs is an epic story. Seriously. Watch the video.

Black cowboys have been a thing since Compton was founded in the 19th century.

After slavery, they were horse hands.

They moved west just as other ranchers did.

And then they taught their kids to ride.

These days they canter between cars wearing Chicago Bulls jerseys and faded ballcaps.

The record will show that riding horses has helped save these kids from gang involvement.

But five years ago, arsonists torched their stables.

Fire on the Hill tells the story of the remaining cowboys’ struggle to rebuild their barn and reclaim their way of life.

Watch the video.

And please donate.

Save the cowboys, save L.A. history.

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