Cowboy
Cowboy - a portrait of Wilbert Freeman McAlister, President of the Oakland Black Cowboy Association, is now streaming online! Follow Wilbert from the dusty fields of the Central Valley through the urban landscapes of Oakland as he retraces his life’s path of self-discovery, personal loss, and community education.
Oakland Black Cowboy Association
While the film is a celebration of Wilbert’s story, it is also just as much an effort to drive fundraising for The Oakland Black Cowboy Association. The OBCA has had to postpone their annual parade, their main fundraising event, for the past two years due to COVID. Donating to the OBCA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, will help them to continue their mission of educating the public of the oft overlooked role of African American cowboys in the settling of the American West.
Follow Western American
Film Screenings
November 17
Eli’s Mile High Club
Oakland, CA
January 7
Zebulon
Los Angeles, CA
Press
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SF Gate
‘For McAlister, the OBCA mission is all about history — telling it how it is and setting things straight. He doesn’t actually corral cows, nor does he own a ranch. But he still considers himself to live the cowboy lifestyle.’
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Oaklandside
‘When Wilbert Freeman McAlister — more typically referred to as “Cowboy” — enters a room, people take notice. Known to sport cowboy boots, shirts engraved with his name, ostentatious belt buckles, and crisp leather cowboy hats under a full head of white hair, he has earned his nickname.’
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KQED
‘Wilbert "Cowboy" Freeman McAlister, the longtime president of the Oakland Black Cowboy Association, certainly fits that description. He's led the group of urban equestrians for 18 years, and through their community service and annual parade, they've kept the Black history of the West alive for nearly five decades.’