PODCAST: Dale Johnson

Dale Johnson Talks polo, protesting on horseback, and being the descendent of Black cowboys.

Dale Johnson, photographed by Michelle Kilfeather

Welcome to our monthly podcast, produced in Partnership with Storied: San Francisco and hosted by Jeff Hunt.

In this podcast, Dale traces the history of his family, from New York state and a Black settlement in Texas called High Prairie to the Bay Area. His parents met at a park in the East Bay and Dale was born seven years later.

He grew up in "deep" East Oakland. He touches on some of the changes that he remembers, with industrial jobs being off-shored and drugs coming into previously prosperous, Black neighborhoods, comparing that to some of what has been happening in the so-called Rust Belt of the U.S. and the different responses to each situation.

After he graduated from college in Santa Clara, he moved to L.A. where he worked in shipping. He had a few other jobs, mostly in data systems.

Dale was living in Scottsdale, Arizona, and his then-girlfriend/now wife was taking care of her father, who was ill, while also going to San Francisco State University. So, in 2010, Dale moved back to the Bay Area to help her out, and the couple has been living in Ingleside ever since.

Dale Johnson, photographed by Michelle Kilfeather

Dale goes on to talk about discovering polo. All we'll say is that the story involves Argentina and boots. And if you wanna learn more about the sport, please be sure to listen in to Part 2 above.

Dale ends his episode telling us about Heels Down, Fists Up, a Bay Area equestrian activist group that he is a part of that arose this summer after the murder of George Floyd.