I hope Duke fans here will be interested in this article on Black cowboys - mentioned is Bass Reeves:
“ … And we now know that the Lone Ranger, a traveling white hero named Reed featured in movies, TV and radio dramas, was almost certainly inspired by legendary Black lawman Bass Reeves. In his 32-year career, deputy US marshal Reeves fought crime with several Native American partners and handed out silver dollars. “Bass Reeves is the closest person to resemble the Lone Ranger” …
‘A history that’s been suppressed’: the Black cowboy story is 200 years old
Historians estimate a quarter of settlers of the US west were Black, moving cattle on horseback, settling towns and keeping the peace
www.theguardian.com
Bass Reeves - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org