"Ron Tarver was one of the earliest photographers to dedicate himself to documenting the lives of Black cowboys, which he has done for thirty years. As a boy growing up in Oklahoma surrounded by ranchers, farmers, and horsemen, many of whom happened to be African American, he understood their culture not as a Hollywood concept but as a demanding way of life. His images of urban cowboys, rodeo riders, and ranch hands radiate an intimacy born of trust often nurtured over generations. The Long Ride Home celebrates the heritage and the enduring resilience of these Black cowboys, who may have surfaced into popular culture awareness only in the last few years but who actually helped shape the American West more than 150 years ago."
—Elizabeth Cheng Krist, Senior Photo Editor, National Geographic Magazine

"The only book to tell the story of the contemporary Black cowboy experience––and the only one to feature photographs––The Long Ride Home: Black Cowboys in America published by George F. Thompson Publishing presents over 100 color and black-and-white images by Ron Tarver that convey the beauty, romance, and visual poetry of this way of life and its rich heritage. Although African-American cowboys have long been a fixture on the American landscape, few people are aware of their enduring contributions to western history and the settlement of the frontier, and of their unique culture that continues to thrive today in urban as well as rural areas all over the country."
—Loeil de la Photographie (read the full review here)