Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

[Review Of] John W. Ravage. Black Pioneers: Images Of The Black Experiences On The North American Frontier, Nudie Eugene Williams

Ethnic Studies Review

This scholarly study is a welcome effort to broaden the horizon of what many Americans have come to believe are the true westering experiences. It began with the early western images created in dime store novels and brought to life on the movie screen. The featured settlers, cowboys, outlaws, and other heroes were generally white. In this scenario, the frontier was tamed by strong willed white men while the role of African Americans in the "western United States and Canada and Alaska" was largely ignored (xv).