在美国内战后的二十余年里,大平原上兴起了一个疆域辽阔的“牧牛王国”。美国这个新的畜产品生产基地是数万名牛仔艰辛开发西部边疆的成果。非裔牛仔是美国牛仔的重要组成部分。他们在牧场的劳作中,在牛道上长途驱赶牛群时,能胜任各个岗位的工作,且总承担白人牛仔不愿担当的最艰辛、最危险的任务。与白人牛仔相比,非裔牛仔更能苦练专业技能,与不同肤色的同伴合作共事并忠诚于雇主。虽然非裔牛仔做出了重要贡献,但“牧牛王国”并不是他们追求的“理想国”。在那里,仍然存在着对非裔牛仔的种族歧视和种族隔离。 In the twenty years after the U.S. civil war, a vast territory of “cowherd kingdom” has emerged in the Great Plains. The new U.S. livestock production base is the result of tens of thousands of cowboys struggling to develop the western frontier. Afro-American cowboy is an important part of American cowboy. In their pastoral work, they are capable of carrying out various job duties when driving long distances on a bulldozer, and they always undertake the most difficult and dangerous task that white cowboys will not take. Compared with white cowboys, African-American denims are more capable of practicing professional skills, working with different color partners and loyal to employers. Although the African American cowboy made an important contribution, the “kingdom of the cowherd” is not the “ideal country” that they pursue. There, there is still racial discrimination and apartheid against African-American cowboys.