Black Red was born January 19, 1945, in North Carolina and moved to New York City with his family at the age of one and half. He first started riding mules at the age of 8 while visiting his grandparents and cousins who were sharecroppers in North Carolina. At the age of 10, a mounted NYC police officer riding in Harlem noticed Black Red who was mesmerized by the horse. The officer scooped him up and took Black Red for a ride down the street. Since then, his ambition was to become a mounted police officer in New York, but he was wounded in action in the Vietnam War and could not pursue his childhood dream. Defying his doctor’s expectations, Black Red went on to become a peace officer of the New York state court system and pursued riding. He hopes to pass on his urban cowboy legacy to young kids today so that they feel encouraged to pursue their dreams despite all adversity. Among his heroes stand Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and his parents, Warren Senior and Vergie, who gave him a strong work ethic and sound moral foundation.