Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning masterpiece “Cowboy Carter” (Album of the Year) has inspired legions of people to discover Black people’s deep Western roots. And it’s no stretch of the imagination to say that the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s (HLSR) Black Heritage Committee facilitated in a big way Mrs. Carter’s cowboy and cowgirl connections.
Why? Because Queen Bey readily credits annual attendance at the HLSR for grounding her in that tradition.
As society’s recognition of the historical presence of Black people in all aspects of Western (cowboy and cowgirl) culture grows, it only makes sense that the spotlight turns to the longstanding participants in HLSR’s Black Heritage Committee (BHC). Currently, the BHC has 185 members.
The HLSR is a family of 35,000 volunteers and 110 committees. The BHC makes up approximately 185 of those volunteers.
BHC members, who are civic leaders and change agents in their various “day jobs,” are surely worthy of the title “Black Rodeo Royalty.”
For the culture
And they are absolutely about representing for the culture.
“We make sure that we reach out to the African American community to showcase and talk about the rodeo through awareness and participation,” said Gina Goosby-Harris, former chairman of the BHC which was founded in 1993. “We make sure that we highlight that information to the young students. We also host scholarship showcases and participations to inform them about the rodeo and the scholarship opportunities.”
“In 2017, I became the third Black to become a vice president at the HLSR in the 85 years of the show’s history,” said Terence Fontaine, who was preceded by Warner Ervin (Executive Board) and Curtis Clerkley (Lifetime Vice President) in receiving that honor.
Fontaine also “highly recommended” current vice president and Black cowgirl, Wendy Lewis Armstrong, who is serving in her final year.
“Blacks at the rodeo have made many contributions to the HLSR and typically are a significant part of the operation of the three-week show,” added Fontaine, whose wife Deidra is serving on the HLSR Trailblazer Committee.
Former Houston City Councilmember Dwight Boykins has also been a longtime HLSR participant.
“For over 20 years I have participated in the HLSR Annual Trailride with the Southwest Trailride Association (SWTA),” said Boykins. “While serving as a member of the Houston City Council, I would camp out all seven days only to leave the campsite to go back to City Hall, vote and return to the campground. Black cowboys and cowgirls are a growing number of people in the Western culture.”
The BHC hosts two annual premier events, Fall Roundup Day in October and the Black Heritage Gala which has been held on multiple months over the years (with this year’s event which took place on Feb. 1), which raise money for youth scholarships.
“Our members are responsible for the table sales. We had a sold-out event (in 2024). We had over 2,900 people who participated—our largest ever,” added Goosby-Harris.
“The Black community has contributed substantially over $500 million given to students for educational programs. This year alone, the HLSR pledged $28 million to support educational programs in Texas,” shared Fontaine.
BHC mission
The HLSR BHC undertakes a four-pronged mission to 1) highlight the Western heritage of Black people in Texas, promote the rodeo within the African American community, raise funds for scholarships, and celebrate Black Heritage Day during the rodeo, which this year falls on March 7.
The committee’s annual Black Heritage Western Gala honors Black pioneers in Western history. It thereby expands–like Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter”–the general public’s awareness of the Black presence in those spaces.
Black Heritage Day
While HLSR’s annual Black Heritage Day centers on the Black musical act(s) that will perform in any given year, that day involves much more.
Black Heritage Day includes a talent showcase featuring elementary, middle, and high school fine arts groups. The BHC’s Corral features artifacts related to the history of the Black Cowboy. Black Heritage exhibitors with informational displays also populate the HLSR venue on Black Heritage Day.
Black Heritage Gala
Fontaine asserts that the Black Heritage Gala is one of, if not the largest, galas at the rodeo. He’s proud of the event’s growth over the years.
“Chairman LaShandra Boddy shared with me recently that the 2025 Black Heritage Gala moved past the 3,700 in attendance mark. In 2015 I moved the Black Heritage Gala from NRG Park to the George R. Brown Convention Center. I remember hitting the 800-attendee mark and really thought we had done something. Now look at this mighty committee, providing scholarships and carrying on the tradition and contribution of Black Cowboys and the role they played in Western heritage,” said Fontaine, who loves to highlight the BHC, but wants to make sure the public knows of other individuals and entities who are doing great HLSR-related work.
“It’s important that we don’t think of just the Black Heritage Committee when we consider the thousands of Blacks serving in various roles at the show, including roles with the auction, wine, international, rodeo express, armed forces and trailblazers,” Fontaine said. “The experience at the HLSR is not monolithic for our people. Find your sweet spot and come on out to volunteer and enjoy the camaraderie of one of Houston’s treasures, the HLSR.”
