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 1. Movies


AS A WESTERN FAN, I GET ESPECIALLY EXCITED WHEN I SEE BLACK CHARACTERS FEATURED.
HERE ARE 7 I NEED TO TALK ABOUT

Voices
By Rich Knight
published December 14, 2024

They like the way you die, boy.

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commission. Here’s how it works.


(Image credit: The Weinstein Company)


I’m a huge fan of horse operas, and I’ve watched many of the best westerns of
all time.



However, one thing that has always kind of bugged me about the genre is that a
number of classic westerns either A: Don’t feature any Black characters
whatsoever, or B: feature Black characters, but in a minute role, or in a
demeaning fashion (I’m looking at you, 1931 Cimarron).

That’s why when I see Black characters featured prominently in westerns, I get
super excited. So, here are just a few such examples. Yah!



LATEST VIDEOS FROM cinemablend Cinemablend





(Image credit: Warner Bros.)


NED LOGAN (MORGAN FREEMAN) - UNFORGIVEN



The story of a disfigured sex worker, and the bounty her friends put on the men
who did it to her, Unforgiven is often seen as a meditative western, starring
none other than Clint Eastwood. It’s one of my all-time favorites, and I often
go back and forth on whether I think The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, or
Unforgiven is the better western.

Eastwood, who also directed the Oscar-winning film, is the star of the picture,
and he plays William Munny, a former outlaw who has a failing farm and needs the
money. He enlists the help of his friend, Ned Logan, played by Morgan Freeman,
as well as a rather green cowboy who goes by the name of “the Schofield Kid”.



Well, unlike Munny, who still has the heart of a killer, Ned doesn’t, and he’s
conflicted about coming back into the field. In one pivotal moment, he shows he
can no longer kill a man, as he truly did leave that life behind. And, I just
love how three dimensional his character is. Ned is a man who wants to help –
both the sex workers, as well as his old riding buddy – but he really struggles
because he feels like he can’t anymore.

Unfortunately, Logan comes up against the villainous Little Bill (who is
definitely a cop who doesn’t follow the rules), and his story is a tragic one.
But, it’s also memorable in a genre that doesn’t always have memorable
performances for Black actors.





(Image credit: Netflix)


CUFFEE (DANIELLE DEADWYLER) - THE HARDER THEY FALL

In this predominantly Black western directed by Jeymes Samuel, a cowboy named
Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) seeks vengeance against a terrifying outlaw named
Rufus Buck (Idris Elba). As a plus, basically all of the principle characters
are based off of real people, so this story doubles as historical fiction.

With a cast as stacked as this one, I literally could have picked any of the
characters, but I’m choosing Cuffee, played by Danielle Deadwyler, since she’s
the most fascinating to me.

Based on the real Cathay Williams, who was the first (and ostensibly only) woman
to serve in the U.S. Army during the American Frontier Wars (she posed as a
man), Cuffee is interesting because she is probably the best shooter out of the
bunch of sharpshooters. Hers is a tale of being both underestimated, but also
feared, for her proficiency with a firearm.

My favorite moment is when she squares up against Cherokee Bill (Lakeith
Stanfield), since it has all the hallmarks of a battle for the quickest hand.
Honestly, I wish there were more excellent roles for Black women in westerns. We
don’t get nearly enough of them. Speaking of which…





(Image credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)


MOSES “MO” WASHINGTON (LETITIA WRIGHT) - SURROUNDED

In a post-Civil War America, Mo Washington (Letitia Wright) is a free woman
looking for gold. But, due to unforeseen circumstances, Washington has to stay
with an outlaw (Jamie Bell) as others go out for help after her stagecoach was
attacked.

Wright, who I first learned about through Black Panther, is an indomitable force
in this movie. You know she’s tough since she plays a former Buffalo Soldier,
but her toughness is put to the test when dealing with Jamie Bell’s character,
who offers a pretty ostentatious performance.

But, Mo plays it cool. As a Black woman, there are many who don’t take her
seriously. That is until she whips out her pistols and makes them take her
seriously.

Much like Cuffee in the last entry, Mo understands that she’s underestimated,
which is why it’s all the more satisfying when she puts ignorant men in their
place.





(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)


BUCK (SIDNEY POITIER) - BUCK AND THE PREACHER

In this exciting western, which was also Poitier’s directorial debut, he plays a
former soldier named Buck who helps get other Black people across the country
through indigenous territory. Buck has struck a sort of agreement with the
indigenous people, which comes in handy later when white bounty hunters try to
get Buck to stop his work. It all culminates in an exciting conclusion.

Buck and the Preacher is a really fun film, and I regret that I didn’t mention
it in my list of Sidney Poitier’s best movies after he passed. Also starring
Harry Belafonte as the “Preacher” (I put it in quotes since he’s not really a
preacher), and Ruby Dee as Buck’s wife, the film is action-packed and humorous
in all the best ways.

One thing I love about Buck is that he sticks to his guns and doesn’t run from
his duties to help other African Americans. I also like that he always seems two
steps ahead, and that he has formed a sort of kinship with the indigenous
people, as they both find a common adversary who they can rally against.

There may be more recognizable Sidney Poitier movies, but when it comes to
westerns featuring Black characters, Buck and the Preacher is certainly one of
the best.





(Image credit: USA Films)


DANIEL HOLT (JEFFREY WRIGHT) - RIDE WITH THE DEVIL

Ang Lee's Ride With the Devil is a western like no other.

Telling the story of the warring factions between the Jayhawks and the
Bushwackers back in Civil War times, Ride With the Devil tells a complicated
tale of white men killing each other.

So why, pray tell, is it on this list, then? Well, because of Jeffrey Wright's
character, Daniel Holt, a former slave who is fighting on the Confederate side
since his freedom was bought by his Southern friend.

This is definitely one of Jeffrey Wright's best roles because he plays such a
complex character. And this is because he's not conflicted about which side he's
chosen. He'd rather fight beside his friend than fight for his potential future,
which is a unique perspective, to be sure.





(Image credit: Sony)


DJANGO FREEMAN (JAMIE FOXX) - DJANGO UNCHAINED

In this revisionist western from Quentin Tarantino, a former slave (Jamie Foxx)
is enlisted by a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) to hunt down some suspects,
only to eventually become a bounty hunter himself; unchained, as it were.

I like to watch Django Unchained during Black History Month, because it's just
so satisfying to watch as a Black man.

Django goes from being shackled to shooting a plantation owner dead in his own
mansion. What's not to love?

Django is a particularly fascinating character, though, since he flourishes so
wonderfully. My favorite part is when he's decked out in that fancy blue outfit,
and he kills a racist jerk with gusto. I mean, seriously. How cool can you
possibly get?





(Image credit: TWC)


MAJOR MARQUIS WARREN, "THE BOUNTY HUNTER" (SAMUEL L. JACKSON) - THE HATEFUL
EIGHT

In yet another western by Tarantino (which was supposedly a sequel to Django
Unchained before Tarantino scrapped the idea), a collective of people with
different motives are stuck in a cabin together during a snowy winter day.
Violence ensues.

Some might say that Tarantino did Jackson dirty in Django by making him an Uncle
Tom-esque character, but if so, he did right by him in The Hateful Eight, where
Jackson is arguably the coolest character in the movie.

Playing a bounty hunter this time around, Jackson manages to get one up on
pretty much everybody he encounters. This makes an argument for Major Marquis
Warren being one of the greatest characters in Jackson's lengthy career.

Not everybody adores The Hateful Eight when considering Tarantino's filmography,
it's actually my second favorite movie of his (right after Pulp Fiction, of
course), and Jackson's character is definitely the reason why.

For more news on any future westerns, be sure to swing by here often!




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TOPICS
Django Unchained Morgan Freeman Jamie Foxx Letitia Wright jeffrey wright The
Hateful Eight samuel l. jackson
Rich Knight
Social Links Navigation
Content Producer

Rich is a Jersey boy, through and through. He graduated from Rutgers University
(Go, R.U.!), and thinks the Garden State is the best state in the country. That
said, he’ll take Chicago Deep Dish pizza over a New York slice any day of the
week. Don’t hate. When he’s not watching his two kids, he’s usually working on a
novel, watching vintage movies, or reading some obscure book. 





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