'Juneteenth Cowboys,' exhibit curator A.C. Jackson honored by Taylor County historians

A.C. Jackson hardly looks like a cowboy but he treasures the role of what he calls Juneteenth cowboys in Texas history.

That's how he refers to Black wranglers, who took on these roles after learning of their freedom June 19, 1865.

On Tuesday, an exhibition first curated by Jackson in 1995 was displayed with other historic items at the Taylor County Historical Commission's building at 317 Pecan Street, east of the 1915 Courthouse that is under renovation.

Mayor Anthony Williams said the exhibit, while not large, "celebrates us. History never really tells the whole story. That's why a day like this is so special. This is an opportunity for our children to assess value to themselves by seeing folks who look like them."

Real history

Jackson was given two awards recognizing his effort.

"I like for my work to speak for itself," he said. "I've always wanted to enlighten the imagination and increase the knowledge of young people to the West. Not the white West, but the true West."

He said a mockery was made of the Black cowboy heritage, "and that really made me angry."

It wasn't until college that he was able to explore more history.

Over the years, the commission has worked to tap into Black history, involving residents interested in history.

One is Jackson, and another is Andrew Penns, who heads Curtis House, a north Abilene Black history center in the former residence of Black funeral home directors.

Penns has been a member of the local historical commission, Salmon said. In fact, he was honored in 2009 with the Maxine Perini Award for outstanding service to the organization.

Saddling up for Juneteenth

The commission recently worked out a deal to use the former county welfare building.

The commission had stored bound yearly copies of the Abilene Reporter-News in the courthouse but had to move those due to renovation.

Work was done on the building to return it to public use, said Jeff Salmon, director of Frontier Texas! The stones used to build it likely are the oldest quarried in this area, he said.

A historic building needed a good launch, and Jackson's exhibit comes just after the local celebration of Juneteenth seemed ideal.

Salmon hopes to have the building open Thursdays, with the exhibit available for viewing into September.

A grand addition came just before Tuesday's evening event, at which Jackson was honored both by Williams and Shawnte Fleming, who heads the nonprofit community activism group Let Us Breathe.

Fleming acquired cowboy items belonging to "Cowboy John" Rogers, her father. Saddles, buckles and photos are displayed.

Also displayed are books about Blacks on the open range. There is more information available than most people would think, Salmon said. He provided a bibliography for attendees.

One book, for example, is "The New Black West," that features Black men, women and children in the modern rodeo world.

Salmon said it was Jackson who contacted him at Frontier Texas! about the lack of Black representation in Abilene-area museums.

"He had given me some guidance for an exhibit we hosted at Frontier Texas! over a decade ago on the integration of the Abilene public schools. About two years ago we started talking about doing an exhibit on Juneteenth Cowboys, a topic that Dr. Jackson had curated an exhibit on in 1995," Salmon said.

Jackson retrieved panels from storage and joined the effort to show those again, preferably in alignment with Juneteenth, Salmon said.

Jackson honored for action

In honoring Jackson for his efforts to tell Black history stories, Williams presented a framed certificate from the city and words of praise.

"No one has done more than you," the mayor said. "I appreciate everything that you've done. We don't do a good job of blowing kisses in appreciation for those who have come before us. A.C. has spent a lifetime collecting opportunities for our children and others to assess value to themselves.

"If we had more folk like A.C. Jackson, our community would be better. And that's what we're going to celebrate."

Jackson's work includes efforts to promote Sammye and Robert Stafford as worthy of an Abilene elementary school naming. The Abilene ISD last year approved the renaming of Lee Elementary for the two pioneers of Black education in Abilene.

Fleming gave Jackson a plaque that honored him for that effort, as well as Juneteenth Cowboys.

Jackson in 2021 made known the gravesite of Black pioneer Wash Lytle, who is buried at Abilene Municipal Cemetery, remained unmarked.

More: Life of former slave Wash Lytle almost lost to time because of unmarked grave

"He is a monumental person," Fleming said. "I hope when I'm his age, I'm movin' and shakin' like he is."

Salmon said adding Fleming to the planning of the opening exhibit was important.

"My favorite part of having Shawnte on the committee was discovering that her father, John Rogers, was a rodeo cowboy," Salmon said. "Known locally as 'Cowboy John,' he served for many years as an AISD truancy officer and competed in rodeos on the side, winning many competitions, as seen by the award buckles he loaned for the display."

Jackson said knowing the history of the West makes Blacks "proud to wear our 10-gallon cowboy hats."

New digs for history buffs

Salmon was pleased with Tuesday's turnout, which mixed historical commission members and those representing the local Black community.

The new building is called the Taylor County Historical Commission Archive Building.

It was built in 1938 to serve as the county's agriculture building.

Stones were used from the first county jail built in 1895, he said. The jail had been torn down.

It later became the county's welfare building. Those offices have been relocated.

Added in 1962 was annex to serve as the county's health department. That is used to store county clerk records.

About 18 months ago, the commission took over the main building and worked to remodel it for use. The Juneteenth exhibit is the first event there.

Greg Jaklewicz is editor of the Abilene Reporter-News and general columnist. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com. 

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: 'Juneteenth Cowboys,' exhibit curator Jackson honored by history group