Los Angeles, June 7 2020 – Equestrians and their mounts joined thousands of pedestrian protestors for the Compton Peace Walk, marching from Gateway Towne Center in Los Angeles to Compton City Hall in Compton, California.
Announced just four days earlier by Compton mayor Aja Brown, the Compton Peace Walk was planned as “a show of solidarity to honor the life of George Floyd and the many others who have lost their lives due to racism, police brutality and violence”. The Compton Cowboys shared the event on social media as the Compton Peace Ride with this call to action: “Calling all equestrians let’s ride.”
The Compton Cowboys describe themselves as “a collective of lifelong friends on a mission to uplift their community through horseback and farming lifestyle, all the while highlighting the rich legacy of African-Americans in equine and western heritage”. Many are former members of the Compton Jr. Posse, an organization that has provided opportunities for Compton youth to learn to ride and care for horses since 1988.
Randy Savvy of the Compton Cowboys said it was important for the group to be part of the event because… «We have to be out here for our people supporting the cause – He continued. – We have been fighting these issues for a long time, many decades, many centuries, and it’s just time to get it right. We just wanted to be out here on behalf of the city of Compton and just to make sure that we are using our voice and letting it be known that we want to stand up against this stuff. Horses contribute to the message because horses are peace» Savvy said. «They are that peace that keeps you grounded, rooted and centered. It’s like therapy being with the horses; they’re all things natural. This is what’s helping us, as far as our community, keeping us calm and cool and collected so we can speak our message without being tainted by violence and other things like that».
Source: The Chronicle of the Horse