Dallas, TX: Celebrate Juneteenth at the Texas Black Invitational Rodeo

Oneika Raymond makes her way to Dallas, Texas on Juneteenth weekend for the legendary 33rd Annual Texas Black Invitational Rodeo to get to know Black cowboy culture and history, a part of the American story that often goes untold.  

From galloping horses and the hoots and hollers of the more than 300 competing Black cowboys and cowgirls to the reverential sound of the Black National Anthem performed by  Dallas local Angel White, we take you behind the scenes of one of the most popular rodeo events around. We’ll hear from Charles Hearn, the great-grandson of Cleo Hearn, also known as Mr. Black Rodeo, who founded the Cowboys of Color in 1971. He shares how he’s carrying forward his family’s legacy and shaping the new Black West. 

But first, we’ll make a stop at the African American Museum of Dallas to take a look back. Oneika sits down with Dr. Marvin Dulaney, the Deputy Director of the museum to hear the origins of the Black cowboy and understand why this history has largely been erased from popular Western media and public knowledge. Dr. Dulaney will also give us insight into what the rodeo means for the story of Dallas today. 

So dust off your boots and join us for an action-packed evening of barrel racing, bull riding, steer roping and storytelling.

About the Journey is a podcast produced by Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, AT WILL MEDIA, MNTRA, and Oneika Raymond. Listen and follow the show here.

To read full episode transcripts from About the Journey and see photos of each featured destination, head to About the Journey on Marriott Bonvoy Traveler. Starting this season, you can watch full videos of each episode on the Marriott Bonvoy YouTube channel.