I should warn you: Every time I run into a Black man on the street who is dressed in western gear, I will end up as a drawing on 8-Rock.com. I think it also has something to do with my pleasure in seeing an African American man with the audacity to walk around the city dressed in an outfit that is strongly associated with country western music and culture, neither of which is perceived as particularly friendly to Black people. Unfair as it may be, the association of country western music and it’s fans with somewhat more racially conservative values and beliefs is fairly widespread, particularly among that majority of African Americans who live in the American south.

I have to admit that when I see a brother strutting around the streets in western gear, I’m a bit disconcerted, at first. But that uncertainty quickly turns to respect for his refusal to observe those unspoken rules of which styles belong to whom.

So, this drawing is salute to the brothers in cowboy hats, bolo ties, and wild western boots. A tip of the Stetson to every last one of you.

Ajuan Mance (8-Rock)