Roughly 1 out of every 4 cowboys riding the trails north out of Texas were African-American. Many of these men learned their skills while working on ranches as slaves - often times as stock breakers or bronco busters. After the abolition of slavery, they put those skills to work and took part in the booming open range industry, driving cattle all over the American west. Some continued to be cowboys, while others became ranchers themselves. (unknown cowboys, circa 1913)
The term “dreadlocks” comes from a movement of guerrilla warriors who vowed not to cut their hair until Haile Selassie, former Emperor of Ethiopia was released from exile after leading the resistance against the Italian invasion. The warriors hair became matted and began to lock over time. Because the warriors with locks in their head were “dreaded” the term “dreadlocks” came to fruition.
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