32 years after it was first released, N.W.A.’s “Fuck tha Police” became the rallying cry across the United States, as 10 per cent of American adults – 25 million people – have joined Black Lives Matter protests around the nation after a video surfaced showing Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin brutally killGeorge Floyd on May 25.
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But the City of Compton, where N.W.A. hails from, was noticeable calm, cool, and collected. “That was very profound to me. Compton has always been notorious for being really hostile when it comes to police brutality,” says Randy Hook, leader of The Compton Cowboys and Executive Director of nonprofit youth equestrian organisation Compton Junior Equestrians.
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nspired to take action, Hook contacted Mayor Aja Brown, and with her support, they organised the Compton Peace Ride on June 7 through his hometown. “We wanted to work with our mayor because she’s a Black woman and she’s all about what we’re all about,” Hook says. With her support, the Compton Cowboys, a tight-knit group of riders who have known each other since childhood, mounted up and led the people to the steps of City Hall, where Mayor Brown and NBA star Russell Westbrook, a Long Beach native, gave speeches.
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“We had a whole brigade of horses. It looked like the cavalry out there. We were leading the charge, taking up the rear, with all the horses behind all the people. There’s something very powerful about being Black, being cowboys on horses, and fighting for American values even though we are the oppressed party,” Hook says. “We wanted to be sure we left that message on a global scale that Compton is not what people think it is – it’s a community, love, and peace. We care about our kids and we want them to have a better future.”
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