But as the town began to gentrify in the 1980s, the city began seizing the property riders had used for years for urban redevelopment. That said, the official Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club is currently raising funds on GoFundMe to help preserve the legacy of the organization. You have 3 free articles left. Delving into this part of the Black community that might be lesser known to … The plot revolves around a boy sent to live with his estranged father in Philadelphia, where he's introduced to the world of concrete cowboys. The film credits stress that the stables are in danger of destruction with the rise of gentrification. It is an adaptation of Greg Neri's young adult novel Ghetto Cowboy , which is a fictionalization of the urban African-American horseriding culture in Philadelphia, specifically the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club (aka the Fletcher Street Cowboys). on Netflix: Crystal Theobald's Case Explained, ‘Arlo the Alligator’ Sequel: Good News, There’s An 'Arlo' Animated Series Coming To Netflix, Is 'Shrek' On Netflix? Concrete Cowboy was primarily filmed in the North Philadelphia area, including in and around makeshift stables near Fletcher Street. Others worked as cowboys passing through, herding cattle and helping settle the Western frontier. The Netflix … Is Netflix's Concrete Cowboy Based On A True Story? Alice Reese, Herald-Banner movie critic, enjoyed "Concrete Cowboy," starring Idris Elba, a true story of a group of modern-day cowboys in Philadelphia. “I would tell him, ‘Just be present in the moment and say what comes to your heart when you’re retelling the story of your brother.’ It was really beautiful to watch.”. The Duke and Daphne's Stormy Romp, 'Sopranos' Actor Joseph Siravo Dead at Age 64, 'Baldwin Hills' Star Gerren Taylor Dead at Age 30. But how much plot is based on real life? There are approximately 30 horses, not eight. PHA has since broken ground on the Fletcher Street pasture grounds where it plans to build affordable housing for seniors, leaving little space for approximately 30 horses stabled on Fletcher Street. 621, This story has been shared 509 times. I ran outside and met and asked the cowboy where he was from. Alice also likes "French Exit," a combination of drama and screwball comedy, starring Michelle Pfeiffer. Netflix is riding on in with the Hollywood take in director Ricky Staub's Concrete Cowboy, which The horses were quietly returned days later after veterinarians determined they were healthy. After leading several different stables around the city, Ferrell has been a witness and a victim of the near decimation of the city’s Black cowboy community. Digital He started working with local youth after a stint in the Army. It means the world to me to be able to have my debut as an actress and also be telling a story that is so close to my heart.”. As one of few Black cowgirls in the urban horse-riding community, Mercedes says her role in Concrete Cowboy is her own life story brought to life on the big screen. Black horsemen in Philadelphia have been repurposing abandoned warehouses, empty lots and rowhouse shells to stable their horses for decades. Concrete Cowboy is not based on a true story. The main plot and characters of Concrete Cowboy are fictional, and based on the 2009 novel Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri. As Black cowboys continued to face down existential threats, they always found their way back to Fletcher Street, the heart of the urban rider community. Concrete Cowboy tells the story of a Black father-son duo who are part of an urban riding club. In 2004, the city seized a cluster of stables in Brewerytown, another North Philadelphia neighborhood, and demolished them to make way for apartments, displacing around 100 horses in the process. “It’s the root—everything grew out from Fletcher Street,” Ellis Ferrell, the 82-year-old founder of the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club (FSURC) tells TIME. 1,455, This story has been shared 1,424 times. Inspired by true events. A group of Black horse-riders are at the centre of a true-life inspired story, starring Idris Elba. The original version of this story misstated how many horses are housed on Fletcher Street. Is Lance Bass Really on 'The Circle' Season 2? Subscribe for just 99¢. However, the phenomenon of Black urban cowboys in North Philadelphia is very much a real thing. However, the movie is based on Greg Neri’s YA novel titled Ghetto Cowboy. 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