Where Are the Black Cattlemen?

For over 200 years, Black men and women have been deeply rooted in American ranching. Long before hashtags, podcasts, and modern agriculture branding, Black cattlemen were breaking horses, moving longhorns, building herds, and shaping the beef industry that feeds this country.

Yet today, when people picture a “cattleman,” the image rarely reflects that truth.

So the question deserves to be asked:

Is there a Black Cattlemen’s Association?

The answer is both yes and no.

The reality

There is not yet a large, nationally recognized trade group called “The Black Cattlemen’s Association” on the scale of the mainstream cattle industry. But Black cattlemen absolutely exist and they are organized, though often through broader farming, breed, and heritage networks.

Two of the most important organizations serving Black cattle producers today are:

• National Black Farmers Association

• American Black Hereford Association

Together, these organizations help Black ranchers access markets, preserve genetics, retain land, and gain representation in a system that has historically shut them out.

What the National Black Farmers Association does

The NBFA supports Black farmers and ranchers across the United States, including cattle operations. Their work includes:

• Advocating for fair treatment by USDA and lenders

• Helping farmers protect family land from foreclosure

• Providing education on farm loans, conservation programs, and grants

• Building national networks for Black producers

For cattlemen, this means support with pasture development, herd financing, disaster relief, and market access.

They are not just about farming.They are about keeping Black families on the land.

What the American Black Hereford Association represents

The ABHA is focused on one of the most respected beef breeds in the U.S., the Black Hereford. Their work includes:

• Maintaining a breed registry

• Promoting high quality genetics

• Connecting cattlemen and women to buyers and breeders

• Supporting Black ranchers who raise Black Hereford cattle

This matters because genetics is power in the cattle business. If you control your bloodlines, you control your future.

Why a true Black Cattlemen’s Association has not existed

For generations, Black ranchers were locked out of:

• USDA loans

• Land grants

• Breed registries

• Livestock auctions

• Extension services

Without access to those systems, Black cattlemen survived mostly through family networks, small herds, and community trade. Many were forced off their land entirely.

What we are seeing now is the rebuilding.

A new generation of Black ranchers is buying land, building herds, and entering breed associations and livestock markets that were once closed to them.

This moment matters

Black cattlemen are not asking for permission anymore.

They are:

• Registering cattle

• Attending sales

• Running genetics programs

• Owning land again

• Building multi generation operations

And slowly, quietly, the culture is shifting.

A new legacy is being written

You do not need a national title to be real.

A cattleman is made by:

• His land

• His herd

• His word

• His discipline

And Black cattlemen have always had all four.

The only difference now is that the world is finally starting to see them.