Houston – Many families are learning something new thanks to a beloved PBS Kids series. A new episode of the Emmy-nominated animated show Alma’s Way is shining a spotlight on the often-overlooked history of Black cowboys, and a Houston woman played a key role in bringing that story to life. The series is produced by Fred Rogers Productions, which aims to carry forward the pioneering spirit of the beloved Fred Rogers.
Aisha McElroy served as an advisor on the episode “Cowboy Howard,” which follows young characters as they discover that many of America’s earliest cowboys and cowgirls were Black. The storyline mirrors a reality McElroy says she experienced herself, learning later in life that her own great-grandparents were ranchers, farmers, and cowboys whose stories were never widely told.
McElroy founded the Black Cowboy Coalition after uncovering her family’s history and realizing how little representation exists around Black cowboy culture, both past and present. She says the episode is about more than history. It is about showing children that curiosity matters and that American stories are bigger and more diverse than many realize…