Celebrated Black Rodeo Boss to Speak at OES

On January 29, the OES community will welcome Ivan McClellan to campus for our next Dreaming Justice event. McClellan, a celebrated Black rodeo producer and photographer, will share his journey to embracing cowboy culture and the stories of modern Black cowboys' and cowgirls' vital contributions to the American West.

The Dreaming Justice event will focus on McClellan’s journey from a photojournalist whose essays have been featured on ESPN, and in GQ, Atmos, Elle, W Magazine, The New York Times, and Juxtapoz, to a Black rodeo producer. His inspiration came from a colleague in filmmaking named Charles Perry, who invited him to a Black rodeo in Oklahoma in 2015.

“I flew down to Okmulgee [Oklahoma] and was blown away to see thousands of Black cowboys, but not like what I had seen in the movies,” McClellan said. “They were riding horses with gold chains and no shirt on and basketball shorts. The women had long braids and acrylic nails, hip-hop music was playing, and people were frying catfish and barbecuing. A lot of the things about Black culture were familiar to me, but mixed with Western culture.”

He continued attending Black rodeos around the United States for years, building relationships along the way.

“Everywhere I went, there was a group of Black folks that cowboyed and they welcomed me in,” McClellan said. “I felt it was a very comfortable homecoming for me.”

Then, in 2023, McClellan decided it was time to bring a Black rodeo to Portland. After six months of planning, Portland’s first Black rodeo entertained thousands of people at the Portland Expo Center, the first rodeo at the venue in 50 years.

“I had never planned a birthday party, let alone a 2000-person rodeo, but we just had a lot of faith and figured it out. And it ended up working out,” McClellan said. “We made every mistake that you could make, but it went off great and everybody enjoyed it.”

Now, after two successful rodeos, McClellan is planning the 2025 and 2026 rodeos, something he intends to do for years to come.

“We're planning on making this a tradition in Portland, continuing to grow, and bringing this culture to the Pacific Northwest,” McClellan said.

On January 29, McClellan will bring his stories and experiences to OES. Through stunning visuals and personal anecdotes, McClellan will explore themes of resilience, representation, and cultural pride. “Riding Into the Future: Black Cowboy Culture Today and Tomorrow,” tailored for students and families at Oregon Episcopal School, will highlight the intersection of history, art, and modern rodeo culture, inspiring a deeper appreciation for diversity within America’s rich cowboy tradition. On January 24, OES students will have the opportunity to hear from McClellan and see a live demonstration.

Join us! January 29, from 7-8:30 p.m. in the OES Chapel.

Since 2020, the Dreaming Justice series has provided the community with opportunities to engage with scholars, educators, and artists around topics of education and race.