Bill Pickett was a rodeo star! But white supremacy would tell another story. Although in the early 19th century, one in four cowboys was Black – like Bass Reeves, the legendary “Lone Ranger” – they still tried to erase Pickett’s Blackness.
He’d invented “Bulldogging” – a widely used technique to gain control in steer wrestling by biting a cow’s lip. No one had ever seen anything like it done before, and they didn’t believe a Black man could be so innovative. What they did next proved their white ignorance.
They banned Pickett from rodeos because of white jealousy! He had to deny his Blackness – and fully identify with his Native American heritage – in order to perform.
But he never let their racism stop his shine. He was going to continue outperforming them anyhow.
He rose above and kept pursuing excellence! Pickett became a rodeo legend, performing for audiences all over the world, from Mexico to England. He even became a movie star with his appearance in the 1921 silent film, "The Bulldogger.”
Pickett’s story is a necessary reminder for us all: although many of our stories have been erased from history books by white supremacy, like Bill Pickett, we’ve never needed their permission to be great!