Richland Farms, a zoned agricultural area in the city of Compton, south of Los Angeles, has long fostered a vibrant equestrian community. In 1988, Mayisha Akbar created a horseback riding club for local Black youth to keep them away from gangs and violence. As members grew up, many kept riding, continuing a long and rich history of Black cowboys in the American West. Today, a close-knit group known as the Compton Cowboys celebrate this legacy on the very same ranch Akbar developed. Their motto: “Streets raised us. Horses saved us.”…
