Black Colorado Ranchers Prevail After Attempts to Run Them Off the Land

Aaliyah Wright, Word in Black

After years of facing discrimination and harassment, the Mallerys are pushing forward and fighting for change.

Courtney “CW” and Nicole Mallery believed they had moved to greener pastures after being displaced by a hurricane.

They moved to Yoder, Colorado, an unincorporated town where they could nurture their animals and grow food on their 1,000-acre ranch. What the married couple say they’ve encountered, however, nearly cost them their lives. 

They faced being doxxed and surveilled, as well as vandalism, and discovered their animals dead on their property. Guns were pointed at them. They were even charged with felony stalking, petty theft, and tampering with a meter, but the charges were later dropped by prosecutors. 

At the center of it all, they say, were their white neighbors and deputies with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, who they alleged were complicit in the discrimination they faced. The sheriff’s office has denied the allegations. The Mallerys believed it was part of an effort to take their land. The sheriff’s office did not respond to Capital B’s request for comment.

Their experience is a classic tale of how to force Black farmers out of an industry where they are already in decline. What was meant to silence these ranchers brought them national attention, from packed-out rallies at the state Capitol to a powerful feature in Jordan Peele’s High Horse: The Black Cowboy documentary released in 2025. 

Now they’re working with lawmakers to push for legislation and are thinking of running for office.

“There are so many other Black people that are dealing with this that don’t know what to do. I hope that maybe following our journey gives them some hope, and maybe some kind of outline as to how they can overcome it,” Nicole said. “Go down to the legislature and get some laws passed so they know they can’t stop you.”

Discover their story, which is similar to many Black ranchers’.

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