Black Cowboys Teach Inner City Kids Horsemanship, History

Kids from rough areas in New York City have found a home away from home on a 25-acre ranch in Queens, CNN reported Tuesday.

Since 1994, the Federation of Black Cowboys have been teaching inner city kids horsemanship and history to keep them away from gangs and drugs.



CNN reports that thousands of kids have been introduced to the stables since 1998, and a small number return for longer mentorships. Members of the federation, who go by nicknames like "Ma" and "Little Red", work first and foremost to make their aspiring junior wranglers feel safe. They also teach kids about "the forgotten black West" and the role that black cowboys had in shaping America's history.

But the cowboys need some help, CNN reported. The nonprofit survives on donations, and with few current contributors, the stables are falling into disrepair and the federation's museum is presently a dilapidated trailer containing a hodgepodge of memorabilia and artifacts.

Story from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/03/black-cowboys-teach-inner_n_344607.html