Miles J. Dean, a Newark, NJ schoolteacher, rode his horse from New
York to California to celebrate the contributions African Americans
made in the settling of the United States. During his six-month,
5,000-mile journey, Dean, a 57-year-old African American, addressed
people along the way at schools and colleges, community
organizations, and penal institutions. He met hundreds of Americans
through informal encounters at campgrounds, Wal-Mart parking lots,
restaurants, and country stores. With each, he shared his reasons
for the journey and inspired others to fulfil their dreams. Growing
up in Brooklyn, New York, Dean first learned about cowboys from
watching television. Like any boy at that time, he wanted to be
like those heroes and pretended to be a cowboy. He galloped through
the streets on his bicycle, ambushing outlaws on street corners.
Although Hollywood helped keep his dream alive, the cowboys on TV
didn't look like Dean. At age 23, he saw Sidney Poitier play a
cowboy in the 1972 film, "Buck and the Preacher," and realized he
too could be a cowboy. He deferred his teenage dream another 10
years before he could afford riding lessons and eventually bought
his first horse. But the film inspired him to explore the African
American history he never learned in school, specifically the
contributions made during the 1500-1800s when horses were the
primary means of transportation. He knew he wanted to make a
cross-country journey and retrace the steps of these early
pioneers; it was just a question of when. On September 22, 2007,
Dean brought his horse, Sankofa, a 12-year-old Arabian stallion
into New York City and rode to the African Burial Grounds, in lower
Manhattan to begin his journey. Granted an unpaid leave of absence
from his 5th grade social studies position, he embarked on this
odyssey he had dreamed about for nearly 35 years. Six months later,
Dean completed the trip with a celebration at the California
African American Museum in Los Angeles. In between he visited
several historical monuments, paying homage to history's forgotten
heroes, including the black jockeys at Kentucky's Churchill Downs
and soldiers at Tennessee's African American Civil War Cemetery.
His travels through Memphis and Little Rock evoked his own memories
of growing up during the Civil Rights Movement. His ride through
the harsh deserts of the Southwest and across California's
formidable Chocolate Mountains allowed him to re-enact the
conditions and perils faced by early cowboys and marshals. "On the
Trail of the Ancestors: A Black Cowboy's Ride Across America"
recounts how one man followed his childhood dream. Dean's
commitment to his journey helped him battle a brain tumor; his
gratitude to his ancestors fortified his resilience; and his
integrity to honoring heroes in history via his horse kept him on
road. This book chronicles Dean's cross-country journey and
introduces readers to people from all cultural and social
backgrounds. Dean's many encounters with strangers who assisted
him, his meetings with students, his participation in local
community parades and other events as he travelled bring to life
the complex tapestry of the country. As Dean travels from state to
state, the reader learns about African Americans who contributed to
US history. Dean's relationship with his horse Sankofa provides
insights about what it is like to ride a horse for six months.
Whether navigating dangerous terrain and city traffic, riding long
distances, handling medical problems for him and the horse, or
facing the challenges of acquiring the four relief horses, his
anecdotes regale readers with the visceral pleasures and
difficulties of such a journey. Dean's story demonstrates that an
ordinary person can accomplish the extraordinary.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(1)
(5)
