London-based photographer Ferguson first became interested in the group 10 years ago while watching a news report in New York about local black cowboys holding a parade . John Ferguson documents the lives of today black cowboys . Historians now estimate up to four in one cowboys in the Wild West were African-American . Historian : The black cowboy played a crucial role in taming the American West . Were cattle-herding slaves labelled `` cow-boys '' where the term originated ?
John Ferguson documents the lives of today black cowboys . Historians now estimate up to four in one cowboys in the Wild West were African-American . Historian : The black cowboy played a crucial role in taming the American West . Were cattle-herding slaves labelled `` cow-boys '' where the term originated ?