African American Farmer in St Helena Parish, Louisiana Days Are Numbered

African American Farmers
Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr. 

As farming's days draw to a close, we're seeing the end of the era unless they younger generation embrace gardening and farming. Today, African American  farmers are few and far in between in St. Helena Parish.  Many of them have died and others have gotten too old to carry how the task of farming and raising livestock.

During the dying -off of farming in the African American community, I came in at the very tail in to document their story about farming. A few farmers were still struggling to maintain their small farms with little or no help at all. 

During our conversation, they described their challenges related to agriculture with me. Their finances weren't enough to maintain or purchase equipment and their health was failing. It was stated that their children and grandchildren did not want to do this kind of work. Ultimately, they didn't have any other options but to accept that their days for farming were numbered. 

In the United States, many African American farmers faced discrimination practices. Their loan applications to purchase better equipment were rejected. Historically, the USDA had discriminate against Black farmers all across the United States.  As a result, they hardly could keep their heads above water while White farmers had loans approved for new equipment, land acquisition, purchases, and maintenance.

Bull Baker Making Homemade Syrup in St. Helena Parish

Bull Baker
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

Those that know him call him Bull Baker. Bull is a native of St. Helena Parish, Louisiana. He is also known for his gray mustache and his love for overalls. In addition to his gray mustache and his love for overalls, he is well-known for joking and teasing folks. He studied at Southern University N.O. and his retired.

A real country boy at heart, Bull is proud of his roots. He comes from a very large family in St. Helena. One of the largest African-American families in St. Helena is the Baker family. I should mention that Alphonse Baker and he bear the same surname however I am not sure how closely related they are. But rest assured, they are somehow connected through bloodlines.

Bull worked alongside the other men in order to make the delicious homemade syrup from scratch. He fed long stalks of sugarcane into the loud sounding machine that squeezed the naturally sweet juice out of each stalk.

Each man and his helpers are responsible for collecting the waste from beneath the old mill shed. All of the ground was covered with shredded cane.  As soon as every container was filled with the delicious, savory syrup and packed. It was now ready to be transported to the homes of those who placed orders. He was finished working at the old mill shed for the day. 

Fresh hot homemade buttermilk biscuits right out of the oven and homemade syrup make and excellent breakfast for the following morning with a hot cup of coffee. The smell of frying bacon and homemade biscuits always reminds people of their mother waking them up in the morning as the smell of fresh bacon wafted throughout the entire house. What a way to start your day off?

Award Winning Filmmaker and Genealogist Document the History of the Black Cowboys and Horsemen

Leonard Smith III, Award Wininng Filmmaker
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

Leonard Smith, III, who won several awards for his film called "A Place Called Desire' accompanied Harrell in documenting and interviewing the Black Cowboys and horsemen in St. Helena Parish several years ago. It was the first time Smith had been in the parish to document a rich undocumented subject. In his capacity as a filmmaker and genealogist researcher, Smith understands how important it is to document and tell our own stories.

His company LS3 Studios, a video production company provide services in person histories, photography, storytelling, and video editing. Having been briefly introduced to the topic of the black cowboys by Harrell, his attention was drawn to the story of the life of black cowboys and horsemen. Harrell arranged for photographer Walter C. Black, and Smith to join her in St Helena. Parish. All three with cameras in their hand enjoyed taking photographs. Their cameras mean to them what the horses means to the horse riders. 

While the horsemen rode their horses some of the men was cooking, barbecuing and boiling different types of meat. Among the meats was opossums, a meat Smith and Harrell have never tasted and had no plans to taste it that day. In others opinions, they both didn't know what they were missing by passing up the taste of wild game. 

They end the day with lots of photographs and video footage for preservation. There is nothing like exploring life around you and learning about the native people, their culture and way of life. Harrell is pleased that she had the opportunity to document some of the Black Cowboys events in the St. Helena Parish.

African American Cowboys Tie Down Ropers in the Louisiana Florida Parishes

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

A wonderful aspect of living in the beautiful Louisiana Florida Parishes is the opportunity to document  the rich history of the people that call the Florida Parishes home.  Historically, African American cowboys  and calf ropers have played an important role in the cattle industry. In the cowboy community Fred Whitfield won more than $3 million dollars and eight world championships competing on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association tour. 

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Richard Johnson in St. Helena Parish.  Richard's father was a roper and was regarded as one of the best cow ropers in the parish. Whenever a cow got loose, the owners would call Richards's father to find it and bring it home. One of his old friends talked about how Richards father would find the animal every time. 

Richard's passion for rodeo, horse riding, and roping is inherited from his father.  Richard's place is a gathering place for cowboys and horsemen from the Florida Parishes who come to ride, rope, and barrel race. The sport is enjoyed by women and men alike. 

Cowboy hats, boots, and jeans were in full display on the riders of some of the riding clubs.  They rode their horse with pride and joy and the gallop for all the spectators. The equestrian feat was observed by all observers as they galloped with pride and joy. 

As part of preserving history, I documented the riders through photographs and video. In addition, I managed to interview a few horsemen. To ensure the future access to the Black Cowboys and Ropers stories, I  planned to donate the electronics files to the Amistad Research Center in New Orleans for future research and documentation.