Through the Federation of Black Cowboys, black teens have the opportunity to ride horses and learn about black heroes of the Wild West on a ranch in the middle of New York City.
15-year-old D’vonte “Boney D” Jemmott comes from a dangerous part of Brooklyn, where drug deals and gun fights go on right in front of his door. “If I wasn’t down here,” he told CNN, “I’d probably be involved with things like that—robbing people, probably hurting people—because I’ve seen a lot of that stuff done around my way.”
But rather than joining a street gang, Boney D spends his after-school hours grooming and riding horses on a 25-acre ranch in Queens, barely separated from the busy streets by a small fence. He’s one of many African-American youths who’ve found comfort at these urban stables, thanks to the Federation of Black Cowboys and its founder, Stencil “Doctor D” Stokes.
Stokes, a retired peace officer, created the non-profit group as a way to get at-risk kids off the streets and into a fun and safe environment, encouraging them to live up to their potential. Many of the children who’ve participated in the program over the years have gone on to do great things: one is now a veterinarian; another is a mountie in New York City. But whether the teens graduate at the top of their class isn’t the point, said Stokes.
“Everybody cannot be an A student. We understand that, but if you’re a C student, be a damned good C student,” he said.
The program also gives teens the opportunity to learn about legendary black figures from the Wild West, who are often overshadowed by their white counterparts. While everyone knows about Wild Bill Hickok, Stokes shares the stories of black cowboys and cowgirls like Bass Reeves, the first African-American deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi; and “Stagecoach” Mary Fields, who was the first African-American woman to deliver mail in the U.S. “History, for all people, is a necessary part of their evolution and their growing process,” said Stokes.
Mostly, though, the ranch serves as an unlikely safe haven for the youths who show up to ride horses and learn about their cowboy culture.
“[The kids] love it, Texas in Queens,” said Heather Bradley, who works at the ranch and is known there as “Ma.” “This is like an oasis in the middle of the city.”