Recap of the 100 Black Men of West Texas' 2026 Annual Fishing Derby
A Trinity of Benefits from the 30th Annual Event
The 100 Black Men of West Texas hosted their 30th annual Charles and Rose Hankson Fishing Derby on Saturday 25 July 2026. It was a breezy “bluebird” day, which means it was perfect fishing weather.
As we mingled with the assembled anglers of all ages, the one thing that kept impressing us was just how serious these kids were about their fishing. Hardly anyone was squeamish about handling the bait or the huge catfish they regularly plucked out of Lake Six (aka Dunbar Lake).
We made video and photos to more fully capture the story, and invite you to peruse them below.
Recap Video of the 2026 Annual Fishing Derby
Photographs Made In the Moment
As you can see from the moments captured above, fishing seems to be defined as “the art of being outdoors, by water, in harmony”. In this case, fishing served the community in at least three ways.
First: It served as a link between different generations. Our people of all ages worked together to pass on knowledge, skills and attitudes . This reinforces our culture because we are “manually spreading it” between all the important ages groups.
Two: This event helped build the spirit of resilience and self-sufficiency in our younger generations. It helped ensure the development of a strong future by strongly investing in it today.
Third: This event helped build and strengthen the organizations involved in making it happen. It takes a ridiculous amount of planning and ripping and running to make something like this work.
This arduous but rewarding struggle helps sharpen organizations. Or, at least they can help highlight areas that need work. Either way, this improves the organizations invloved, and helps them better serve the community.
So fishing is actually much more than just a sporting or hunting activity. When done by a community, on this scale, fishing passes on skills and builds relationships that help keep a community alive.