Story from: Lisa Whitmer, Bay Area District
Brother & Sisterhood Riders, part of the Northern California Coalition of Black Cowboys and Cowgirls, delighted the Candlestick Point State Recreation Area (SRA) community on Feb. 7 with guided horseback rides, lasso games, a cowboy hat decoration station and line dancing. Shrieks of laughter echoed across the fields as eventgoers, many of whom had never been on a horse before, went on their first ride.
The Children’s Equestrian and Community Day was part of Frontier & Field: Black Cowboys from Gold Rush to Super Bowl LX, a cultural activation honoring the often-overlooked legacy of Black cowboys and horsemen in Northern California. A huge thanks to Bivett Brackett, executive director of Big Black Brunch, for organizing this unique celebration and allowing Candlestick Point SRA the honor of hosting it.
Though not widely recognized, African American equestrians have played an important part in U.S. history. In the late 1800s, they numbered one in every four cowboys who drove cattle from Texas to Kansas rail stops to help feed an expanding American population. Also, at the turn of the 20th century, Black jockeys dominated the sport of horse racing, winning more than half of the first Kentucky Derby races before the sport became segregated. Today, organizations such as Brother & Sisterhood Riders help keep this proud tradition alive within the African American community.
For Brother & Sisterhood Rider Shanna Whitfield, the Candlestick Point SRA event was something of a homecoming. As a former Hunters Point resident and former Candle Stick SRA park aide, she was the perfect guide to demonstrate how Black cowboy traditions continue to provide mentorship, structure, cultural continuity and a deep sense of pride — particularly for youth in urban and underserved communities.
We can’t wait for Big Black Brunch and Brother & Sisterhood Riders to bring horses out to the park again soon!
