The National Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City admitted its first black member on Dec. 10, 1971, but the honor came 39 years too late for legendary Bill Pickett.
Pickett’s father was born into bondage in 1854 on the trail from South Carolina to Texas. After the Civil War and their emancipation, the family stayed in the hill country along the San Gabriel River.
Willie M. Pickett came along i…
