Sharpshooting Shai and an Imagined Life on the Range

Written by: Marshai R

20 August 2025

Sharpshooting Shai: The boldest and wildest rider in town, always ready for adventure.

One of my favorite authors is Philippa Gregory. I especially loved her 2001 novel, The Other Boleyn Girl. It depicts the life of Mary Boleyn, the ill-fated sister (depending on the reader) of the infamous Queen Anne Boleyn. The book fictionally fills in the details and dialogue based on historical accounts and the writer’s freedom. There is something about the historical fiction genre that feeds my curiosity. How much truth is in these words and private conversations that history could not document? What about the gestures and hints of deceit behind slight smirks?

After a recent trip to Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, at the Birdcage Theatre, I saw a mini musical, which was pretty good for the venue. The lead was a Black woman singing the wind out of her lungs about her woes during the American West era. The whole park has a mining and an American westward expansion theme. This sparked a fresh historical reflection. I’ve done this exercise before, albeit in my mind, never on the internet. During discussions on slavery, the internal debate often arises: would I have fled, or resigned to fate? I often settled that I would surely have run away, given my personality. As I’ve gotten older, I realize the naivety of the thought and the overconfidence of the word surely.

Now let’s head to the American West and take some inspirations from the extraordinary Black women who defied norms and the time…

 Let’s say the year is 1875, ten years out from the Civil War.  Given my need for solitude, I think I would have gone the path of Mary Fields, or "Stagecoach Mary," the first Black woman mail carrier, delivering mail on a dangerous frontier.  Given my military background and several people in my immediate family having worked for the Postal Service, this seems a right fit.    After a few contracts, I would have purchased some land like Bridget “Biddy” Mason, a successful entrepreneur.  Diversifying income streams, similar to Ms. Mason, I would’ve transformed a portion of my property into rentals, securing a foundation for a prosperous future.

Charity starts at home.  So, after my livelihood is secured, it’s time to give back.

While renting my lands as one stream of income, I would have worked to become literate.  Like Susie Sumner Revels Cayton, I would want to contribute to my community through the written word and contribute to my local newspaper.  

What’s next?

As a personal investor who reads daily investment news, could I have achieved the same success as Mary Ellen Pleasant? Would I have amassed a fortune by overhearing businessmen's investment tips in my establishment?

Now, we are heading towards meeting our maker.

In my youth, I worked diligently, saved, invested, and somehow managed to avoid the common tragedies faced by Black women during that time. Now, it's time to pass on my fortune and knowledge. As I enter my twilight years, my focus shifts to leaving a legacy. Like Elizabeth Thorn Scott Flood, who established a school for minority children in 1854, I plan to dedicate my time to teaching newly freed enslaved individuals about wealth building and literacy. Eventually, as I approach the end of my life, I intend to make a substantial donation to my community, much like Biddy Nelson.

This imagined life, a blend of resilience, resourcefulness, and philanthropy, is compelling. Faced with similar circumstances as these remarkable women, the hope is that I would have the courage and fortitude to bring it to fruition.

Considering your personality, who might you have been? What hardships do you think these women endured?

As a fun side quest, share your Wild West name with us. Mine would have been Sharpshooting Shai.