"When our people see representation, we realize we can do it:" Maurice Wade inspires future generations of Black cowboys and cowgirls
On a snowy morning in Bennett, Maurice Wade and his trusty horse "Beer Money" strolled around their ranch, taking a moment of solitude before their big competition.
For months, they've been preparing for the Bill Pickett Martin Luther King Jr. Rodeo, as part of the National Western Stock Show and for years Wade dreamed of these moments.
Becoming a cowboy was his aspiration since he was a little boy.
"You know, that was the American hero. Hollywood really glamorized it. All I would ever see was white cowboys. I told myself when I get of age, I was going to be the first African American cowboy," he said.
In fact, Black cowboys played an integral role in settling the West. But he never saw them on the Westerns he watched so often back in the 50s.
"The history books don't show us in those arenas," he told CBS News Colorado's anchor Mekialaya White.
So, the military veteran made that his mission going forward.
"I grew up in Michigan. In the inner city, you didn't have open space. I was just riding stick horses through the community. I got to Colorado by way of Vietnam," he explained.
He continued, "I got stationed at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora and when I got out, I was job hunting. I transferred to the USDA, and I got to travel a lot. I was going from state to state, auditing the Food and Consumer program. One of our trips I went to Yellowstone and it rekindled that passion that I had when I was a kid."
When asked if he was living the dream at his ranch he said, "Yes! I tell everyone it's a childhood dream realized. It's a real struggle in the Black community. I (credit) a good home raising. My parents didn't play, okay?"
And in living his dream, he aspires to raise up a younger generation of Black cowboys and cowgirls.
That's why, 35 years ago, he helped organize the Bill Pickett Rodeo. With each ride, he and his horse look to encourage others.
"When they come up to you and start asking questions, and I am able to educate them on their history, that's the benefit that I get out of it. We go across the country to Black communities to educate them," Wade said. "When our people see representation, we realize we can do it."
Plus, he says there's absolutely nothing like the feeling of victory after such rigorous practice.
"We have roping practice just like any other athlete. You keep your horse tuned up. The calf horse has to get behind and catch up with it, then the horse will go into a sliding stop. You step off and flank the calf and tie three legs," Wade said.
He continued describing the feeling of roping during a rodeo competition saying, "There ain't nothing like typing and getting your hands in the air. Oh, God, it's a rush. Then, when the announcer announces your name and the crowd just goes crazy."
Wade competes at the National Western Stock Show on Monday.