HONORING AFRICAN 
AMERICANS WHO HELPED SETTLE AND DEVELOP THE WESTERN
UNITED STATES

The Museum began with Paul Stewart, who as a child playing cowboys and Indians, always played an Indian because he was told, "There is no such thing as a Black Cowboy."

The mission of the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center is to promote an understanding of the role that African Americans played in the settlement and growth of the western United States through its collections, programs, and exhibits.