It’s not very often that a show stops you in your tracks because the storyline is so different to anything else currently out there in entertainment. There is certainly no question that this year has been an eye-opening one when it comes to learning about the prominence of Black cowboys and cowgirls (thanks to the help of Beyoncé, of course). The growing interest makes this the perfect timing for a show like Beyond Black Beauty, which is about a young equestrian named Jolie Dumont, whose Olympic dreams are ruined when her mother moves their family from Belgium to her family's urban ranch in Baltimore.
I Was Super Skeptical About This New Drama Series But I'm Obsessed After Just 2 Episodes
I'm already heavily invested
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Updated Oct 18, 2024
Prime Video
Prime Video
The 11-part series, created and executive produced by Pilar Golden, is already receiving great reviews from critics commending the innovative plot, and if you like drama, there is plenty of it in the form of family secrets, double lives and revenge. I must admit that I was a tad skeptical about starting it at first as I'm not really a fan of modern day western films and shows. In my opinion, many of the present day westerns (Yellowstone aside, obviously) haven't moved beyond saloons, outlaws and gangs looking for revenge. But I have to say Beyond Black Beauty has won me over.
The show also gives you deeper insight into what it takes to operate in the equestrian space—specifically as a person of color, an intentional decision Golden tells me.
"I will speak from an honest place. I had no idea that Black cowboys even existed," she tells me. "It wasn’t until Concrete Cowboy came out that I really understood, and Amazon was telling me that they wanted to do a modern version of it. There was a question of how to bring this subset of Black culture to life. It was important to me to highlight a Black family that we don’t really get to see that often—a family that is complicated, but growing together. It’s also important to note that this is a family who has owned their land for 100 years, which was also intentional."
Prime Video
Kaya Coleman, who stars as Jolie, also adds, "I’m Canadian, born and raised, but my roots are in Florida. Learning about my roots through this show was very important to me, and it’s interesting because during the Civil War, the plantation owners would leave to fight, and it was the enslaved taking care of the horses and farms and bringing them out west. There were a lot of Black people who learned horsemanship during that time—it has always been here."
What I am enjoying most about this series is Jolie’s relationship with her horse "Black Beauty." Horseback riding can provide many different elements that help you grow as a person (along with the general relationship you establish with the horses), and that notion is reflected in this series. I’m also glad that Jolie’s Olympic dreams aren’t totally abandoned because that creates another dynamic that adds to the emotional depth and layering of this show.
The unique storyline and willingness to deviate from the "traditional" when it comes to Black storytelling is just one of the things that makes this show so compelling, and I definitely recommend anybody with an interest in the equestrian world to give it a watch.
You can stream Beyond Black Beauty via Prime video.
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