"Originally published as 'Bessie Coleman: first black woman pilot' in 2001"--Copyright page.

When she was growing up in Waxahachie, Texas, in the early 1900s, young Bessie Coleman had to do without a lot of things. Because she was black, she went to inferior schools. Because her mother worked to support the family, Bessie often had to stay at home to watch her younger sisters. But Bessie Coleman always knew she would make something of her life. In 1920 she became the first African-American woman to fly an airplane. Struggling against prejudice and lack of funds, Coleman built a career as a barn-storming pilot in the 1920s. Although she did not live to realize her dream of opening a school for black aviators, she was--by her example--a source of inspiration to generations of flyers, dreamers, and achievers to come.

This book discusses the life of the determined African American woman who went all the way to France in order to earn her pilot's license in 1921.

Presents a chronicle in verse of the life of Bessie Coleman, the first African-American aviator, who dreamed of flying as a child in the cotton fields of Texas and persevered until she made that dream come true. Reprint.

Here is the brief but intense life of Bessie Coleman, America's first African American woman aviator. Born in 1892 in Atlanta, Texas, she became known as “Queen Bess,” a barnstormer and flying-circus performer who defied the strictures of race, sex, and society in pursuit of a dream.

The My Itty-Bitty Bio series are biographies for the earliest readers. This book examines the life of Bessie Coleman in a simple, age-appropriate way that will help children develop word recognition and reading skills. Includes a timeline and other informative backmatter.

A Pair of Wings is a novel based on the life of pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman. Arriving in Chicago in 1915 from Waxahachie, Texas, Coleman is among the first wave of African Americans to take part in the Great Migration, the largest movement of Black people fleeing the oppression of the agricultural South for greater freedom and the promise of jobs in the industrialized North. Because no one in the United States will teach an African American woman to fly, Coleman learns to speak French and travels to France where she learns from some of the best flyers and designers of Great War aeroplanes. After her initial training she is awarded the French civilian aeronautic brevet, which entitles her to pilot a plane anywhere in the world. As the 1920s progress, both aviation and the Great Migration continue in parallel, and Coleman becomes the only woman in the world to contribute to both. She returns to Europe a second time for training in aerobatic maneuvers. And just as Coleman translated deftly between French and English, once home she converts the aerial life-saving and death-dealing tactics of the dogfighters of the Great War into daring and graceful barnstorming performances that dazzle and amaze her audiences. Through her tenacity and resilience, this fearless woman overcame cultural, racial, and economic obstacles in order to learn to fly. A full century after her accomplishments, Bessie Coleman continues to inspire. Her story is brought to life by author and pilot Carole Hopson. It is Coleman's bold determination and courage that lifted an entire people, and Hopson as well, upon A Pair of Wings. In order to support others in the pursuit of their dreams of flight, Hopson has created the 100 Pairs of Wings Project, which aims to send one hundred Black women to flight school by 2035. Twenty percent of the proceeds from the sale of each book will support this cause.

Looks at the life of the first black woman pilot, discussing her childhood, education, and flying career.

Meet Bessie Coleman. She was the first African-American woman to earn her international pilot's license. And she did so against great odds. No one in America was willing to teach a black woman to fly. Still, Bessie never gave up on her dream of becom