The Compton Cowboys: The New Generation of Cowboys in America’s Urban Heartland

New York Times journalist Thompson-Hernández debuts with an inspiring report from Richland Farms in Compton, Calif., “a community within a community” south of Los Angeles, where in the 1980s real estate agent Mayisha Akbar founded “one of the first black-owned horse ranches in the United States.” With funding from wealthy donors, Akbar also ran the Compton Junior Posse, a youth equestrian program that sought to divert local kids from gangs by teaching them horsemanship and to heal emotional trauma through equine therapy. Thompson-Hernández picks up the ranch’s story in 2018, as a group of friends and program graduates led by Mayisha’s nephew, Randy, prepare to take the reins from her. In addition to Randy, who wants to make the ranch financially independent, the Compton Cowboys include Charles, a competitive show jumper with Olympic dreams; Kenneth, who battles alcoholism; and Keiara, who hopes to become the first black woman to compete in the national rodeo championships. Thompson-Hernández weaves history lessons on Compton’s shifting demographics, Buffalo Soldiers, and famous black cowboys of the American West into his account of the ranch’s changing of the guard. Though some readers may grow weary of the book’s repetitions and meandering threads, Thompson-Hernández succeeds in capturing the redemptive powers of this unique community and the human-animal bonds it fosters. This feel-good profile shines a spotlight on a worthy cause. Agent: Chad Luibl, Janklow & Nesbit Associates. [em](Apr.) [/em]