Black Saddle Clubs and the Legacy of African American Cowboys

It’s rodeo season here in Houston! The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo begins tomorrow, March 1, and boasts the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world. Rodeo performances have been popular since the late 19th century, and most are familiar with the events that comprise professional rodeos, such as team roping, steer wrestling, and bull riding; however, many rodeo-goers may be unfamiliar with the key role that Black and African Americans have played in the development of the all-American sport.

Read more

Seminole Freedmen and Black Native Citizenship

The widespread recognition of Native Americans’ participation in and profit from the institution of slavery is relatively new. More attention has been focused on the issue with recent re-evaluations of the United States’ history of racism, and it remains a complex issue for many Americans who identify as both Black and Native. This history of enslavement of African Americans and people of African descent by Native Americans results in bureaucratic, political, and social challenges for descendants of those enslaved, such as the Seminole Freedmen, or Black Seminoles.

Read more

Legal Visionary Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray and the Fight Against "Jane Crow"

Civil rights and women’s rights activist, lawyer, scholar, poet, and Episcopal priest Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray was the first to use the term “Jane Crow” to describe the racism and misogyny African-American women faced in the post-Reconstruction era leading up to the civil rights movement. Their* work and activism helped shape legal ideas and arguments for gender and racial equality in the decades leading up to the civil rights movement.

Read more

Don't Be Caught Offside - Know the (NFL) Rules

The most reviled squad on a professional football field is not necessarily the opposing team but rather the group of officials that make up the officiating crew. The referees don’t make up the rules; they merely enforce them. However, tell that to any New Orleans Saints fan upset about the pass interference non-call during the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 or to a Buffalo Bills fan incensed about the current overtime rules for playoff games where a flip of the coin ultimately determines who wins and who goes home. In many cases, such controversial rules will be reviewed by the National Football League’s Competition Committee and perhaps amended to better reflect fairness and prevent outcomes such as those mentioned above. Love them or hate them, the rules are there for a reason. In the case of the NFL, the rules are designed to promote player safety and encourage fairness of play while still encouraging competition and consistency. With the big game* scheduled for this Sunday in Los Angeles, we thought it would be fun to look at the official 2021 NFL Rulebook and the process behind the creation and amendment of these rules.

Read more