Black Jockey Clothing is the embodiment of history, perseverance, accomplishment and style merged together to bring about a brand of significant. BJC was founded at the place of Harriet Tubman’s U.S. destination for freedom from slavery, Buffalo, New York 2007.
BJC was the inspiration of the desire to succeed despite circumstantial obstacles, environmental and mental. BJC represents a culture, a life style, and a people’s quest for victory. We identify with the black jockeys of yesteryear’s struggles and achievements for significance in a world pitted against them. The creation of our clothing line speaks to the soul of a people, providing the sense of triumph as they strive towards prosperity.
Oliver Lewis. Isaac Murphy. Jimmy Winkfield. These are just a few of the forgotten sportsmen of horse racing that were erased from the world of athletics. In the late 1800’s, the Kentucky Derby was at the beginning of its manifestation and African Americans dominated the tracks. From their years of working with the horses in stables as slaves, they developed an unmatched skill for the sport and won 15 of the first 28 Kentucky Derby races.
Throughout the rest of the 19th Century, they prospered in training and racing winning horses. However, towards the beginning of the 1900’s an anti-colored union formed, pushing for the removal of black jockeys from major races. By 1904, black riders had been banned from all main racetracks. From 1904 to 2000, there were no black riders in the Kentucky Derby and their history was slowly being erased.
