Westerns are one of Hollywood’s most enduring genres, but Black cowboys have never truly gotten their due. Yes, we’ve seen standout Black gunslingers from Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Idris Elba, but it still doesn’t feel like enough. However, the newest entry in the popular Yellowstone universe is highlighting the most famous Black cowboy of them all: Bass Reeves. Starring David Oyelowo and premiering Nov. 5 on Paramount+, Lawmen: Bass Reeves follows the “first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi.” He arrested “over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career” and is also rumored to have inspired The Lone Ranger.
Executive produced by Taylor Sheridan (1883, 1923), the series clearly has the same gritty tone and fascinating characters as his other westerns. The trailer opens with a child asking Reeves if he’s a lawman or an outlaw, to which the Marshal replies, “Bit of both, I reckon.” This immediately lets the audience know that this is a story where no one is completely good or bad. We also get glimpses of the star-studded cast which includes Lauren E. Banks; Demi Singleton; Forrest Goodluck; Donald Sutherland; and Dennis Quaid.
The influence and impact of Black people can be found in every aspect of this country, from its founding to present day. No matter how hard some people try to pretend that we didn’t contribute to America’s culture, it happened. Black cowboys helped build the foundation of the western frontier, and it’s past time for those stories to make their way into entertainment.
Lawmen is an anthology that will feature other famous outlaws and lawmen in future seasons, so here’s hoping that some of those stories celebrate notable Black figures. Highlighting new, inclusive legends will do a lot more for the series and the western genre than rehashing Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Jesse James and Billy the Kid stories.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves premieres Nov. 5 on Paramount+.