Black Heroes of the Wild West

I wasn't expecting BLACK HEROES OF THE WILD WEST to be so impactful, but it left me feeling joyful and hopeful. It explores the mostly untold history of the West, and between Kadir Nelson's introduction and James Otis Smith's wonderful visual storytelling, I learned so much. (For example, I had no idea that during Reconstruction, up to one-third of some populations were Black.) Though geared towards young readers ages 8 and up, I think this book is a fantastic introduction for adults too. I don't know about you, but I didn't learn this stuff in school!

This book covers the tremendous work of three Black pioneers during the Reconstruction Era:

• Mary Fields, a hardworking woman who shook up gendered society and persisted tirelessly as a mail carrier
• Bass Reeves, the first Black U.S. Marshall west of the Mississippi
• Bob Lemmons, a mustanger who leveraged humane ways to work with wild horses

All three were born into enslavement and either escaped or were freed following the Civil War, and the illustrations and storytelling are a perfect introduction to these badass historical figures.

What I find missing in a lot of Western U.S. history is the narrative around people of color. So much of history tries to downplay things like the white settlers' exploitation of Indigenous people and theft of their land, the infrastructural work that Chinese folks paid for with their labor and lives, the role of Black folks in literally any space. And if we're lacking it in books for grownups, I wasn't expecting to see this in a middle grade book – but was delighted to be wrong.

This book confronts these topics head-on, and readers get a more robust and whole picture of what the West was really like. The end of the book features several pages on the history of Indigenous, Mexican, mixed-race, Black, and Chinese folks in this era and their lasting impact. There are also references and suggested resources for anyone looking to learn more.