| “This is Black history, yes. But it’s important to recognize that this is American history also. These legends belong to all of us.” - James Otis Smith The perfect book to celebrate Black history today and every day ✓ Remote learning ✓ Homeschooling ✓ Small COVID-friendly learning pods ✓ Winter break independent reading ✓ Virtual storytime events ✓ Non-fiction library collections: Diversity & Multicultural Own Voices Biographies 19th Century US History Comics & Graphic Novels ✓ Traditional classroom settings Black Heroes of the Wild West: Featuring Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reaves, and Bob Lemmons by James Otis Smith with an introduction by Kadir Nelson Hardcover ISBN: 9781943145515 Softcover ISBN: 9781943145522 2021 Great Graphic Novels List Top 10 Books for Kids Favorite Books of 2020 Smith takes virtual trip to Dorothy Heights Elementary School in Washington, DC. to talk "Black Heroes" Dismantling the white cowboy myth is hard work! But James Otis Smith is always up for the challenge. He recently partnered with An Open Book Foundation and Dorothy Heights Elementary School to talk to fifth graders on his creative process, why he chose to write about the Wild West, as well as a tutorial on how to draw horses. When a 5th grade student asked Smith, "Why did you want to write about the Black Heroes?" he explained: “I hope to be able to give readers of all ages something to supplement the books they have and to make history a lot bigger than it typically is in our books, our movies, and our tv shows.” The students got to try their hand at drawing their own steeds, and each one of them received a free copy of the "Black Heroes" courtesy of An Open Book Foundation. “We think of the Old West looking a certain way and being a certain way, but American history is really complicated and there are lots of interconnected parts.” – James Otis Smith To request a VIRTUAL school visit from author James Otis Smith, please contact us HERE . Black cowboys aren't just a thing of the past.... The history of Black Cowboys is certainly a lot bigger than most readers have ever imagined, and it isn’t one that’s limited to the dusty trails and bandit-filled towns of long ago. Black cowboys have been riding, lassoing, and wrangling their way into the public view for decades. Individuals and modern-day riding groups have been lending their voices and their steeds to important causes, advocating for social change from the front lines. Ron Tarver "A Ride by North Philly Rows," 1993 Archival ink jet print, 28 × 30 in. The stereotypical image of the cowboy is of a lonely white guy, brave and aimless, roaming the frontier. The profession was whitewashed in the 20th century by Hollywood Westerns and popular culture, but black cowboys are still around today — including in urban areas like Philadelphia, New York, Houston, and Los Angeles. There are plenty of cowgirls , as well. Photograph by Kayla Reefer for The New York Times "It's not a protest," said Randy Hook, leader of the Compton Cowboys, told CBS . "It's a peace ride." Photograph by Kayla Reefer for The New York Times Read the feature story in the New York Times: "Evoking History, Black Cowboys Take to the Streets" Order your own copy of Black Heroes of the Wild West! BUY NOW FROM TOON! |
“This is Black history, yes.
But it’s important to recognize that this is American history also.
These legends belong to all of us.”
- James Otis Smith | |
The perfect book to celebrate Black history today and every day
| |
|
✓ Remote learning
✓ Homeschooling
✓ Small COVID-friendly learning pods
✓ Winter break independent reading
✓ Virtual storytime events
✓ Non-fiction library collections:
- Diversity & Multicultural
- Own Voices
- Biographies
- 19th Century US History
- Comics & Graphic Novels
✓ Traditional classroom settings
| |
| |
|
Black Heroes of the Wild West:
Featuring Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reaves, and Bob Lemmons
by James Otis Smith with an introduction by Kadir Nelson
Hardcover ISBN: 9781943145515
Softcover ISBN: 9781943145522
| |
2021 Great
Graphic Novels List | |
|
|
| |
|
Smith takes virtual trip to
Dorothy Heights Elementary School
in Washington, DC. to talk
"Black Heroes"
| |
Dismantling the white cowboy myth is hard work! But James Otis Smith is always up for the challenge. He recently partnered with An Open Book Foundation and Dorothy Heights Elementary School to talk to fifth graders on his creative process, why he chose to write about the Wild West, as well as a tutorial on how to draw horses. | |
When a 5th grade student asked Smith, "Why did you want to write about the Black Heroes?" he explained:
“I hope to be able to give readers of all ages something to supplement the books they have and to make history a lot bigger than it typically is in our books, our movies, and our tv shows.”
| |
The students got to try their hand at drawing their own steeds, and each one of them received a free copy of the "Black Heroes" courtesy of An Open Book Foundation.
| |
“We think of the Old West looking a certain way and being a certain way, but American history is really complicated and there are lots of interconnected parts.”
– James Otis Smith
| |
| | |
|
|
To request a VIRTUAL school visit from author
James Otis Smith, please contact us HERE.
| |
| |
|
|
|
Black cowboys aren't just
a thing of the past.... | |
The history of Black Cowboys is certainly a lot bigger than most readers have ever imagined, and it isn’t one that’s limited to the dusty trails and bandit-filled towns of long ago. Black cowboys have been riding, lassoing, and wrangling their way into the public view for decades. Individuals and modern-day riding groups have been lending their voices and their steeds to important causes, advocating for social change from the front lines.
| |
Ron Tarver "A Ride by North Philly Rows," 1993 Archival ink jet print, 28 × 30 in. | | |
The stereotypical image of the cowboy is of a lonely white guy, brave and aimless, roaming the frontier. The profession was whitewashed in the 20th century by Hollywood Westerns and popular culture, but black cowboys are still around today — including in urban areas like Philadelphia, New York, Houston, and Los Angeles.
There are plenty of cowgirls, as well. | |
Photograph by Kayla Reefer for The New York Times | | |
"It's not a protest," said Randy Hook, leader of the
Compton Cowboys, told CBS. "It's a peace ride." | |
Photograph by Kayla Reefer for The New York Times | | |
Order your own copy of
Black Heroes of the Wild West!
| |
|
|
| |
|
