Black Cowboys Generations Chapter II Photographed by C. Stephen Hurst

Thanks to some trending new music, one of the many subcultures in our community—the Black cowboy tradition—has been receiving steady attention. The music has not only brought Black cowboys into the spotlight but also sparked curiosity about what life is like on a ranch.

Trail rides have seen some of the highest attendance in decades. A trail ride is when a ranch or saddle club opens its land over the weekend, welcoming visitors to ride, dance, and fellowship in a safe, communal environment. These events give people a chance to experience ranch life firsthand while celebrating culture and community.

This exhibition, Black Cowboys: Generations Chapter II, takes an intimate look into that lifestyle, capturing the essence of those who live it. Featuring men and women from multiple generations, it shows how cowboys remain the same at heart while evolving with the times. The exhibition continues the documentation work of C. Stephen Hurst, preserving and sharing this living culture as it exists today.

As it Always Was, Yadkin County, NC

Artist Statement 

Black Cowboys, Generations. Chapter 2 

by C. Stephen Hurst 

My work continues a lifelong exploration into the stories and spaces that shape the African  American cowboy experience. Black Cowboys, Generations. Chapter 2 extends my commitment  to documenting and preserving a lifestyle that has persisted across both geography and time— often against erasure and misconception. 

This body of work journeys from the dusty dirt roads of Yadkin County, North Carolina, where  young adolescent boys first discover freedom on horseback, to the reclaimed, overlooked, and  often discarded parcels of land in Brooklyn, New York, where elder cowboys keep the traditions  alive in the heart of the city. Through these portraits and environments, I aim to reveal the  resilience, pride, and continuity of a culture that threads generations together—bridging rural and  urban landscapes, history and present, labor and leisure. 

By preserving these moments, I hope to honor a community that embodies both heritage and  self-determination, challenging narrow narratives of what it means to be a cowboy in America.  Chapter 2 continues this ongoing story—one that celebrates the living legacy of Black cowboys  and the spaces they continue to claim as their own.

C. Stephen Hurst 

Educator & Professional Photographer 

C. Stephen Hurst is an educator and professional photographer originally from New York, now  based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Since 2021, he has served as Director of Photography  at the Sawtooth School for Visual Arts, following his previous role as an adjunct instructor at  the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York City. He credits his love for  photography to his father, a hobbyist photographer and to the work of Gordon Parks, a broadly  celebrated and exhibited African American photographer and filmmaker.  

Stephen’s work focuses on portraiture, capturing people—and occasionally reluctant cats and  slobbering dogs—in the studio, on the streets, and in communities across North Carolina, New  York, Los Angeles, Sri Lanka, and Japan. A self-taught painter turned photographer, his  process emphasizes connection, anticipation, and intimacy, allowing him to create images that  feel both immediate and deeply human. 

Recent commissioned work includes projects for the Triad Arts Council during Juneteenth 2025  celebrations, NC Black Repertory International Black Theater Festival, M Creative Ad Agency,  Love Out Loud, Forsyth Futures, and others.  

Stephen holds a B.F.A. in Cinema Studies from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. His ongoing  work spans both personal projects and commissioned assignments, exploring the intersections of  portraiture, culture, and storytelling. 

Learn more about his work at amancalledhurst.com and hurstweddings.com.

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