If 2023 was the “Year of the Girl,” due to Barbie, Priscilla and ‘Girl Math’, then there is no denying that 2024 should be deemed the “Year of Country”. One of the most notable reasons for this is the release of an album that landed Beyoncé as the first Black female artist to reach #1 on Billboard’s Country Charts – Cowboy Carter.
However, this major genre shift from the popstar led to many people sharing their opinion that, “Now everyone thinks that they can make country music,” according to a viral Tik Tok posted by user @Shay. While this album has been celebrated across America by all races, some critics have claimed the rising trend of Black people embracing western style as cultural appropriation.
Not only is this historically inaccurate – it continues the legacy of white supremacy in country. For many decades, it prevented other races and people groups from participating in the natural evolution of western fashion and music.
“People talked about Beyoncé and how she was going to take up space in country. I feel like she’s launching a Black country movement that was already there,” said Van Lathan, former TMZ host and producer on Higher Education podcast.
The American Cowboy is an iconic symbol of western aesthetics, typically worn by a white man. The fashion elements that automatically register someone as country are rooted in America’s colonialism and cultivated from many different influences.
History of Western Wear
The irony of this is that the symbol of cowboys comes from Mexican and Black people. As Mexicans occupied the South and West of the United States, the Vaqueros (or ‘cow men’) were often hired for their horse riding and roping skills according to American Cowboy. As colonizers moved West motivated by manifest destiny, they began to adopt the clothing of the Vaqueros, including the famous wide brimmed hats that we know as “cowboy hats.”
Native Americans inspired the look of fringed clothing in western wear as well. As they often used resources near them to make their clothing, it was common that they wore animal hides as well. They sold their clothing and art to white colonizers, such as rugs, jewelry, leather clothing, and beadwork. All these elements are now quintessential to Western aesthetics.
It is clear to most people that Native American clothing was appropriated into what is considered now to be “country,” or “western.” Hence why the claim that other people groups are “appropriating” white western culture is invalid – one can’t claim appropriation on something that was not solely theirs to begin with.
Other designs do come from European influences though, such as denim which was developed in France. Styles like the bolero jacket come from Spanish cattle herders. The white Americans, originally Europeans, did apply their own inventions to cowboy wear.
In the nineteenth century West, Mexicans, Native Americans, African Americans and white Americans all held roles in cowboys. Despite the inequality between these groups, the creation of the white American expression of “country” can be defined as a cultural amalgamation –an even blending of cultures. The difference is that overtime, other cultures managed to maintain their own identity throughout history, while white people managed to claim this new identity as completely their own.
Despite their obvious presence in the ranching industry, Black cowboys and cowgirls were never present in the heroic roles of western movies which popularized the cowboy style for the public. African Americans and Native Americans were often portrayed as villains in these movies. The association of other races as, “anti-cowboy” erased the role that they played in the cultural identity, while the white cowboy became a symbol of America’s patriotism.
The need for cowboys eventually faded away, new methods of transporting cattle meant cowboys were no longer efficient in transporting cattle. Native Americans were placed on reservations. African Americans were prevented from buying land. The Vaqueros began to focus on developing the sport of the rodeo.
The cowboy lifestyle is much smaller today, the Department of Agriculture estimates that there is at most 1,000,000 in the U.S. today. However, Black farmers and cowboys are still around despite their lack of recognition.
“You don’t see too many Black cowboys in Raleigh, North Carolina and if I go to the store in my cowboy boots on and my cowboy hat on, they look at you trying to say, ‘You trying to be a white guy, or you trying to be a Mexican guy or Hispanic?’”
The truth is many people who identify with the country aesthetic are most likely not riding horses and roping cattle, they just align with the American culture. One cannot justify excluding other ethnicities from participating in something that is synonymous with American patriotism without subconsciously indicating that they don’t see other ethnicities as truly American.
Jacey Coleman can be reached at [email protected]