Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman also will be inducted during July 27 Hall of Fame ceremony.
We’re offering cheers and congratulations to 1883 star and C&I reader favorite LaMonica Garrett, who will be honored July 27 with an induction into Fort Worth’s National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum Hall of Fame.
Oscar-winner and former C&I cover star Morgan Freeman also will be recognized during the induction ceremony, as will Western artist Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, and National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum co-founders Jim and Gloria Austin. Cowboy and Indian Scout Britt Johnson and Native American activist and social worker Wilma Mankiller are being inducted posthumously.
Garrett took to Facebook to announce he was “Humbled, Proud, Excited, Grateful” to be included in the NMWHM Class of 2024 for his potent portrayal of Thomas, the steadfast friend of fellow Pinkerton Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) who demonstrates his resilience and courage as the pair lead a westbound wagon train.
“On 1883,” Garrett posted, “Thomas was a fictional character but his story from being born into slavery, fighting in the Civil War (Buffalo Soldier) for his freedom, making a life for himself and his family as a free man, and doing his part contributing into building this country/ western expansion was all too familiar. So many of these stories have gone unnoticed in the history of our storytelling not just in books, but in film and television.
“It may shock some of you to know that folks I’ve met and enjoyed chatting with over the last couple of years in person and on social media about how much they loved 1883, had no idea black cowboys even existed. Having to perform in midnight rodeos after the main Rodeo where their white counterparts would perform with huge crowds. There's a great story about how the rodeos became integrated due In large part to legends like Willie Thomas, Myrtis Dightman and a prize headlining bull named Yellow Fever. More on that story another day.
“Being cast in 1883 and bringing the story of Thomas to life was a blessing, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving. And being inducted alongside Morgan Freeman… I mean, c’mon… haha pinch me already.”
The 20th annual NMWHM Hall of Fame Induction and Banquet will be held July 27 at the Worthington Renaissance Hotel in Fort Worth. The VIP reception begins at 6 pm, and the banquet starts at 7 pm. In addition to the awards presentation, the banquet will feature a silent auction. Longtime Dallas radio and television personality Scott Murray, who was inducted into the museum’s Hall of Fame in 2017, returns as event emcee. Tickets can be ordered at the NMWHM website.
“This year marks our 20th year of honoring and celebrating the men and women who have preserved, protected and continue to cherish the Western way of life,” says NMWHM co-founder Jim Austin. “Our honorees represent the very best of those who work tirelessly to carry on the legacy of those who help build this nation. My wife, Gloria and I, are especially honored this year to have been selected by the nominating committee to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with this incredible class of men and women.”
Founded in 2001, the National Multicultural Western Museum describes online its mission to acknowledge “the multicultural contributions of Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, European Americans, and African Americans in the settlement of the American frontier.
“Works of artists and others who documented people and events of the time via journals, photographs, and other historical items are part of the museum’s collection of overlooked materials that tell, often for the first time, our complete story. Through various educational programs (e.g., storytelling sessions, ‘Forgotten Cowboys Tour,’ cultural heritage workshops, historical reenactments, participatory learning) at the museum and in the community, the museum shares our multicultural western heritage while instilling positive values of diversity, tolerance, hard work, and determination.”
“Visitors to the Museum and at our traveling exhibitions leave with an awareness that the American West came into being through the struggles and triumphs of racially and socio-economically diverse people.”
