- [Announcer] Fleet Feet believes that running changes everything.

And we're proud to sponsor Crosscut's Out & Back with Alison Mariella Desir.

We host fun runs, training groups, and events.

Whether you're training for your first mile or your 50th marathon, we're here to run with you.

(light music) - But in between slavery and Martin Luther King, black people were doing amazing things in this country.

We were inventing things, had cities, towns with doctors, lawyers, hospitals, community centers, grocery stores, all type of amazing things that aren't taught.

Hey, this is another thing that we like to say within our Buffalo Soldier organization.

You don't know where you're going unless you know where you came from.

And a lot of people in our community are walking around lost 'cause they don't know where they're going.

They don't know where they came from.

(soft music) (light music) - I remember listening to the words of "Buffalo Soldiers" by Bob Marley and always wondering, who were the Buffalo soldiers?

Why were they significant?

And if they were so significant, why didn't I ever learn about them in school?

Well, I know now that in school we learn an incomplete history.

The Buffalo Soldiers were six all-African American United States Army regiments formed during the 19th century to serve on the American frontier.

While African Americans had fought in many military conflicts since colonial days, the Buffalo Soldiers, composed of former slaves, freemen, and Black Civil War soldiers were the first to serve during peace time.

Today, I'm here on Legends Ranch, where I'll meet with Geordan Newbill, the president of the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle, an organization dedicated to telling the story and uplifting the history of the Buffalo Soldiers.

I will also be getting on a horse, so pray for me.

(gentle folk music) - Growing up, my uncle, he was one of the founding members of this organization, Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle.

My uncle owned horses my whole life.

And he would call and, hey, Geordan, we're going out to the ranch today.

Or, hey, we have a Buffalo Soldier event.

And I'm like, yes, come get me.

I want to go.

Let's go.

Let's do it.

The horse bug, the history bug, it just bit me.

It was just something that I was always drawn to.

Outta all my friends, outta all my family, it was me.

(light music) So yesterday we went and did the Seattle Seafair Torchlight Parade.

It's the biggest parade in the city.

Our organization, the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle, we do parades, festivals, we go to schools and we teach the history of the Buffalo Soldiers.

So yesterday we had a parade.

We had about maybe 50 of us out there.

We had about 20 of us mounted up on horses.

We had a wagon with a bunch of the kids and the elders.

We had our cadets on horseback.

And then just our whole support system from the Buffalo Soldiers and from Legends was just out there as one big family doing what we do.

It would be an injustice if we didn't share and spread and let people know.

You know, if you want to get into this and do a thing, well, there's a beautiful place out in Roy.

People are very warm and welcoming.

And you can go out there and learn too.

- Well, speaking of, I am going to ride a horse today.

- That's the plan.

- Tell me, what are we gonna do?

- Oh, it's gonna be crazy.

You're gonna get on that horse and you're gonna smash around.

- Okay.

Okay.

I don't know about that.

- You're gonna feel what we feel when you get on that horse.

You're gonna be like, okay, now I see what these guys and gals have been talking about.

(light music) All right, Alison, we're about to start your riding lesson.

We'll bring you over here to Jerome, the outlaw, owner of Legends, fellow Buffalo Soldier.

Good luck with your lesson.

- Thank you.

- You're gonna have a ton of fun.

- Thanks so much, Geordan.

So you are the owner of Legends Ranch.

You are a Black man.

Tell me a little bit about this place and how you got it.

- You know, there's a few of us out here, not many in Washington, with ranches of this size.

We do have some top riders that are Black right now, but it's been a work in progress to get us to get to this level.

But, you know, we've grown.

Legends has grown considerably.

And look at that.

You're here.

Anyway, I'm gonna put you on this 7-year-old.

She's a Friesian cross mare.

And again, she hasn't killed anybody in a few months at least.

So our job is to make you feel comfortable and get you on this horse and teach you the basics.

Your left, your right, how to stop the horse.

And then we'll progress on and see if we can't get you into a fun game that we play out here.

(light music) You're gonna need these reins 'cause that is what's gonna help you control the horse.

So if you want to turn left, you're gonna reach down and you're gonna pull the left.

If you wanna turn right, you're gonna reach down farther and you're gonna pull the right.

So remember, if you do pull left, you have to let the right hand go.

And if you pull right, you have to let the left hand go.

- Okay - So you're gonna keep walking.

You give a little bump with your feet, okay?

- Ooh.

- Yep.

Keep on going.

Right on around.

all the way around me.

So pick your hands up and hold it.

There you go.

Like that.

Now your job is to continue this horse moving, okay?

Harder right, harder right.

That a girl.

Perfect.

Now, quick left, and then you're gonna come, yeah, keep moving (mimics kisses).

Keep moving.

- [Alison] Okay.

- Okay, now you're gonna say ho.

- [Alison] Ho.

- Oh, now here comes the posse right now.

- [Alison] Oh, it showed up.

- The posse is coming.

Alright, so the first game we're gonna play, and they're gonna come in and start getting warmed up, is left turn, right turn.

First one to turn their horse as fast as you possibly can.

- [Alison] My turn?

Go.

- [Jerome] Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.

- Oh my God.

- It was faster.

- Unfortunately, the three-time national champion did a circle and walked away while you were still turning.

Right turn.

Go.

You're already gone.

You got it.

Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.

Oh yes!

I think we got one for real.

Yeah!

That's what I'm talking about.

All the way back.

Yep.

Just like that.

You're gonna slide all the way back.

All the way straight back.

Straight, straight.

Let go.

- Thank you, Jerome.

This is awesome.

- I'm so happy you guys came out.

- I'll be back.

- And you got a chance to share what I share every single day.

When this turns into work, I quit.

Right now it's not work.

We just have a lot of fun.

And I think that is probably why people like to come back and come and enjoy this with us.

So as soon as it turns into work, you're not gonna find me on it.

You'll be like, I tried to go to Legends and Jerome quit.

Please, everybody put your hands up and say, "Hey, Legend!"

- Legend!

- This is how we do it out here.

(light music) - [Announcer] Fleet Feet is on a mission to inspire the runner in everyone, and is proud to sponsor Crosscut's Out & Back with Alison Mariella Desir.