The Oakland Black Cowboys Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a parade and festival

The Oakland Black Cowboys Association celebrated its 50th anniversary this weekend as hundreds of Black Oaklanders came to De Fremery Park to enjoy music, good food, a shared love of horses, and to celebrate and honor the contributions of Black cowboys to the history and settlement of the American West .

OBCA President Wilbert McAlister said his favorite thing about the parade is that it brings the community together.

“The smiles on children’s faces, the smiles of young adults, when they see a child happy and in a safe environment. “The smiles of grandma… and grandpa when they see their grandchildren having a clean, safe and enjoyable time and they are not worried, nervous and scared,” said McAlister, who is a grandfather himself.

Left: Wilbert McAlister, president of the Oakland Black Cowboy Association, poses for a photo after the OBCA parade. Right: Belt buckle worn by Wilbert McAlister. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

“There are a lot of people here and we have the same pure pride. And since I’ve been president, we’ve just tried to keep it going. And today is a beautiful day,” he added.

Jaelah (left), 12, a member of the Blue Bird Riders of Manteca, rides with her friend Aniyah, 13, during the OBCA parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Tolani King (left) cheers as the OBCA parade passes by. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Earl Riley (center) rides his horse Big Momma alongside Joe Cummings on the Ghost ship during the OBCA parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Participants reflected on the sense of community they have worked to maintain over the years and shared their hopes that future generations will keep the scene alive.

Melanie Jackson comes from a family of horse lovers and teaches her 3-year-old daughter to ride horses.

“Being able to learn from both of my parents, my mother and my father, I have been riding for many years, and then they pass on this passion to me, and so I can pass it on to my daughter, who is still a little child. it was great,” Jackson said.

3-year-old Jade rides Paloma with her mother Melanie Jackson during the OBCA parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Left: 12-year-old Levar rides a mocha before the Oakland Black Cowboy Association parade in Oakland on October 5, 2024. Right: Kona Wood stands on the back of her horse, Whiskey Smoke. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Samuel Styles is an avid horse rider who works with the Black Cowboy Association in Oakland, and his lifelong passion dates back over thirty years.

“The first time I saw black people on horses was when I was 5 years old at the black cowboy parade in Oakland. I’m 38 now,” Styles said.

Samuel Styles (left), also known as Cowboy Styles, takes part in a parade near De Fremery Park. He talks to a member of “Shadows of The Knight”, who Styles says helped block the side streets. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Samuel Styles holds a medal after participating in the parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

A crowd watches as the Oakland Black Cowboy Association parade begins at De Fremery Park. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Styles said that although the parade had become shorter over the years, the celebration drew more and more people to each parade, with music and horse rides among the attractions.

““I usually have my family… we go out, we have a barbecue and we’re cowboys… we just party, play music, have fun, chill while people are distracted during the day,” he said.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao attends the OBCA parade near De Fremery Park in Oakland on October 5, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Pete Taylor rides his horse Bueno during the OBCA parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

A group of horsemen take part in the parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Carolyn Jackson calls herself an “avid rider” who has been doing it for over 40 years. He also has his own association for black riders, but he shows up at the OBCA parade to show support and celebrate their shared passion.

“I’m really happy to see so many black riders,” Jackson said. “I thought after Covid-19 and the recession, a lot of people came out of it. That’s why I’m very happy that especially younger people are still trying to keep this discipline alive. I love watching it.”

Mariella (9 years old) does her hair before performing with the Royal Chaos dance group at the OBCA parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Jaelah, 12, a member of the Blue Bird Riders of Manteca, prepares her horse Honey for her friend to ride before the OBCA parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

In a sign of hope that the parade would continue, dozens of children lined up to take part in the short ride.

Bryant Johnson rides his horse Cane with his son Bryant Jr. on a ridge during the Oakland Black Cowboy Association parade in Oakland on October 5, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Mia Marshall explains how she started just going out to enjoy the parade, and after three parades in a row on the same horse, she eventually became a black cowgirl herself. He loves letting others ride horses.

“We love doing parades. We set up shop and let people ride (horses),” Marshall says. “We went to senior centers because horses have a huge therapeutic value for elderly people, people with dementia, elderly people and so on. And veterans.

A group of riders take part in the OBCA parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Spectators watch the parade pass by. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

The trophies are on the roof of the vehicle and depict Lonnie Scoggins Sr., one of the original members of the Oakland Black Cowboys Association, which was formed in 1974 during the OBCA parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)