The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center will host its third annual “Black Cowboys & Cowgirls in Florida: Then and Now” event Friday and Saturday, featuring a two-day community-driven celebration on history, culture, and its community.
The event’s goal is to shed light on the role Black cowboys and cowgirls have played in shaping of both Florida and American history, while making connections from legacy to present-day traditions.
“The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center are committed to the study and dissemination of people of African descent,” said Barbara McDade Gordon, a University of Florida professor and organizer of the event. “It’s very inclusive as people of the diaspora are all over and come from a lot of places.”
While cowboy culture is often associated with Western states such as Texas or Oklahoma, Florida has been one of the nation’s leading cattle-producing states spanning generations. Over time, the Sunshine State has also amassed deep roots in ranching and agriculture, adding to the emphasis on being one of the nation’s leading cattle and ranching states.
Event organizers say the two-day celebration also aims to challenge common perceptions about who cowboys were and still are, by bringing attention to stories that have historically been overlooked or buried over time.
“African American history is American history, and all parts of it is a great fabric of America and it’s a rich and wonderful cultural fabric, and the more you know about it, the more interesting it is,” Gordon said.
The event is designed to offer both educational and interactive experiences both indoors and outside. Friday evening will focus on storytelling and history, featuring presentations on Black cowboys in Florida along with a documentary screening centered on local voices and experiences.
Saturday’s programming shifts toward hands-on activities, including horse rides, roping demonstrations, live music and food vendors. The event is designed to be accessible to all ages, combining education with opportunities for direct engagement.
Beyond entertainment, the event also highlights the economic and cultural significance of agriculture within Black communities. Ranching and farming remain important sources of livelihood, and organizers say the event is meant to encourage younger generations to see agriculture as both a viable and meaningful path.
While the event is poised to promote African Americans within the scope of rodeo, a large emphasis is being placed on other environmental and social aspects such as farming and ranching, which make up the rich African American culture.
“Our emphasis is not just on the rodeo entertainment aspect of this [cowboys and cowgirls], but also on the farming, the ranching, and the preserving and maintaining of agricultural land,” Gordon said.
African Americans have lost much of the land they once worked, resulting in a steep decline of land ownership over time.
“We lost about 85% of the land that we owned over the past century,” Gordon said.
This year’s program will also feature a documentary produced by a University of Florida journalism professor, focusing on young cowboys in north central Florida and the passing down of knowledge across generations.
“We’re going to be showcasing a work in progress that focuses on young, intergenerational training of cowboys and cowgirls that’s right outside Gainesville,” said Antoine Haywood, a University of Florida journalism professor who produced the documentary.
The short film highlights a broader effort to bring more eyes and ears to stories that are not always recognized or told, particularly those rooted in Florida’s rich African American history. By focusing on local ranchers, agriculturists, and young participants, the documentary highlights how cowboy culture and traditions continue to exist and evolve today.
“Florida is a part of the equation as well. When you talk about Cowboy and Cowgirls, the history of ranching and especially within African Americans, Florida has deep history and I don’t think that’s widely known as much as it should be, so it’s important that we have this narrative that helps make that connection as there’s more attention that’s being given to this subject” Haywood said.
Members of the Cotton Club say events like this are vital in strengthening community ties by bringing in people together to learn and engage with history.
The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center, which is hosting the event, serves as Gainesville’s focal point for cultural education and aims to advocate for education and boost local awareness of African American history and the broader African diaspora.
The event is free and open to the public, with organizers encouraging residents of all ages and backgrounds to attend and learn more about a cultural tradition that continues to grow and shape communities across the region.
“We encourage others to attend just to know more about the history of African American culture,” Gordon said.