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Rory Doyle
www.rorydoyle.com
This ongoing documentary project in the rural Mississippi Delta, “Delta Hill Riders,” sheds light on an overlooked black subculture — one that resists both historical and modern stereotypes.
Historians estimate that just after the Civil War, although one in four cowboys were African American. As the Western Frontier was settled during the post-war era, cowboy work was one of the better opportunities for African Americans. Nevertheless, this population was drastically underrepresented in popular accounts and remains so today. The “cowboy” identity retains a strong presence in many contemporary black communities.
This project reveals how deep and diverse this community is. I’ve narrowed this local culture down into four main categories: trail riding, horse shows, black heritage rodeos, and “cowboy nights”. Trail riding is purely social, with large groups gathering to ride and, often, enjoy barbeque and music. Horse shows involves competition for prize money, with horses judged by appearance and gait. Black heritage rodeos allow riders to display their skills as they engage in all the classic rodeo elements. Lastly, “cowboy night” finds groups of cowboys and cowgirls congregating at nightclubs to dance late into the night as DJs play cowboy-themed songs.
One roadblock I’ve faced throughout this project is an inability to uncover modern and historical documentation of Delta cowboy culture. There is very little record of how this population started, and how it has changed through generations. Therefore, my best information has come from oral history accounts. All the elder riders I’ve spoken with say that, in the old days, there were many more cowboys.
On a personal level, I've been welcomed by these folks in a way I couldn’t have imagined. Because of that, it’s been the most engaging project on which I've worked. It’s a story that's particularly timely with the current political environment, and one that provides a renewed focus on rural America.
Delta Hill Riders is a counter-narrative to the often-negative portrayal of African Americans. I have captured a unique group of riders showing love for their horses and fellow cowboys, while also passing down traditions and historical perspectives across generations.
Ultimately, this project aims to uplift the voices of my subjects while challenging old archetypes of who can and cannot be a cowboy, as well as illuminate a little-known aspect of the black experience in Mississippi
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