When It Comes to Westerns, There is Nothing Like Bass Reeves!

When I first learned how history treated the incredible Bass Reeves, there was righteous indignation. His feats are remarkable. Every outlaw knew his name and feared him. Every lawman respected him. 

And for good reason. 

He entered Dead Man's Land (a dangerous, ungoverned territory 34 miles wide by 164 miles long, now known as Oklahoma) thousands of times and successfully apprehended the nation's most notorious lawbreakers. He brought in more than 3,000 criminals and only killed fourteen in self-defense. He was an expert horseman and was barred from competitive turkey hunts because he was too good of a shot. If his name was on the roster, the prize was his. He was a man of integrity, grit, hard work, intelligence, and creativity. (Ha! He was a master of disguise, donning various undercover costumes to infiltrate infamous hideouts.) 

His story is definitely one for the books!

So why did his story never appear in a dime novel? (Stories that were exaggerated and often flipped the script - turning a criminal into a hero. Reeves was a hero. His story did not need exaggeration because it was great in and of itself!) 

Why... Grrrr... Why? Why did it take nearly one-hundred years after his death before a historian penned his story? (Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves by Art T. Burton, you should read it!)

Because he was black.

(And this is when I begin to feel the righteous indignation rise in my heart.)

What do I do when I know a story should be shared? 

I share it with my audience! My audience is my own kids, my students, and you! 

What do I read with them? Bad News for Outlaws by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (Ah! So so good!) and The Legend of Bass Reeves by Gary Paulsen. 

My audience may only be a few hundred in my lifetime, but I don't care. If I read it to my three kids, a class of fifteen kiddos, and a few readers here and there, I hope the excitement is contagious. Share his story. 

Share how he apprehended criminals who were on their way to the judge known as "The Hangin' Judge" and how he used the long trek back to share the gospel with them.

Share how he overcame prejudice.

Share how he worked hard.

Share how he cared about being a man of integrity so much that he was willing to arrest his own son.

Share the inspiring, the funny, the sad... the stories history ignored so that history does not repeat itself.