
Were there Black cowboys in Arizona?
From Valley 101 by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com
February 23, 2026 · 20 min
About this episode
This episode explores the presence and history of Black cowboys in Arizona, challenging Hollywood's portrayal of cowboys.
People's impression of cowboys is largely due to Hollywood. Actors like John Wayne, Gary Cooper and Clint Eastwood cemented the image of the rugged, handsome, White cowboys throughout their films. While it made for good movies, it's not entirely accurate to how the West looked at the time. There's plenty of history on vaqueros, or Mexican cowboys, in the West, but one demographic left their prints on Arizona history with their stories vastly untold: Black cowboys This week on Valley 101, we answer the question: Were there Black cowboys in Arizona? Submit your question about Phoenix! Follow us on X, Instagram and TikTok. Guests: Tricia Martineau Wagner, Tomari "TJ" Stevenson Host, Producer: Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Amanda Luberto
Guests: Tricia Martineau Wagner, Tomari "TJ" Stevenson
Topics covered
- Black cowboys
- Arizona history
- vaqueros
- Hollywood portrayal
- Western culture
Keywords
- Black cowboys
- Arizona
- history
- vaqueros
- Hollywood
- Western
- culture
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com
Places: Arizona, Phoenix
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