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Oakland’s Black Cowboy Association Rides Into an Uncertain Future
The 45-year-old institution is struggling to connect with a younger audience
As Wilbert McAlister walks around Verdese Carter Park in deep East Oakland, it’s impossible to miss him. He’s fully dressed as a cowboy, from a crisp mustard-yellow long-sleeve shirt to a silver- and gold-plated belt buckle to a cowboy hat adorned with the American flag. On this particular day, the community has gathered for a block party, where some of the Black cowboys who are part of the Oakland Black Cowboy Association are in attendance. It’s not unusual to see them, as they often participate in community events.
McAlister is president of the OBCA and a staple in the Oakland community. He moved to East Oakland in 1965 from Madera, California, and joined the Oakland Black Cowboys after he saw them riding down Bancroft Avenue. “I would see horses riding up and down the street, and I wasn’t aware of what was going on,” McAlister said. “I saw Black cowboys and Black cowgirls, and I was amazed. Being a country boy from Madera, the only cowboys I had seen were white.”
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