Ronald W. Davis II, Ph.D.

About the presenter

Ronald W. Davis II, Ph.D. is a historian and Lecturer at Texas State University whose research focuses on Black history, the American West, slavery, Reconstruction, and the history of Black cowboys in Texas and the Southwest.

Dr. Davis earned his Ph.D. in History from The University of Texas at Austin in 2025. His dissertation, “They Made Me the Best Bronc Rider in the Country, but They Weren’t Trying to Make Me a Rider:” Enslaved and Free Black Cowboys in Texas, 1840–1885, was advised by Dr. Daina Ramey Berry and Dr. Talitha LeFlouria. His scholarship examines the experiences and contributions of enslaved and free Black cowboys and challenges traditional narratives of the American West.

His publications include “Black Cowboys: An American Story,” published by Not Even Past in 2021. He has presented his research at venues including the 20th Annual Black World Conference at Metropolitan State University of Denver and the School for Advanced Research and New Mexico History Museum. He has also delivered invited lectures on Black cowboys, race, and Reconstruction Texas.

Dr. Davis has extensive experience in public history. From June 2024 through April 2025, he served as Co-Curator of Black Cowboys: An American Story at the Witte Museum. His work bringing the history of Black cowboys to museum audiences reflects his commitment to creating more inclusive interpretations of the American West.

Among his honors, Dr. Davis received the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Texas Scholarship in American History Fellowship in 2021.