Before the Civil Rights Movement, there was a Jamaican-American woman who shattered boundaries by riding her motorcycle across America. Her name was Bessie B. Stringfield. Adopted at age five by a wealthy, white Irish Catholic family, her parents gave her whatever she asked for including a motorcycle. She relied heavily on her faith in God to get her through encounters with racism, sexism and denial of essentials such as fuel for her motorcycle and hotel rooms on her road trips. Her nothing-can-stop-me attitude, outstanding riding skills along with her faith in God has made her one of the most incredible and talked about Twentieth Century female motorcycle pioneers.

Imagine a five-foot-two-inch-tall woman riding a Harley eight times across the continental United States. Now imagine she is black and is journeying across the country in the pre-Civil Rights era of the 1930s and '40s. That is the amazing true story of Bessie Stringfield, the woman known today as The Motorcycle Queen of Miami and the first black woman to be inducted into the American Motorcyclist Association Hall of Fame and the Harley Davidson Hall of Fame. Stringfield was a pioneer in motorcycling during her lifetime; she rode as a civilian courier for the US military and founded the Iron Horse Motorcycle Club in Miami, all while confronting and overcoming Jim Crow in every ride.

"The history of the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club, an all-black, all-Harley, all-chopper group of motorcyclists in Oakland, California. Written by the club's founder and president, it presents an often-untold portion of African-American history"-Provided by publisher.

Written by a journalist from the saddle of her motorcycle, this book chronicles the bold world of women in motorcycling: the myths, the history, and subcultures of free-spirited riders with a passion for two wheels and the road. This is the first account of this little-known facet of women's rocky road to personal independence in America. Packed with stories and photographs of pioneering women and their machines from the first grande dames who hitched up their skirts to ride motorized bicycles at the turn of the century to the high-tech drag racers, stuntwomen and exotic adventure riders of today. "A woman's symphony on the road." The New York Times.

Hop on the bike with Bessie Stringfield, the motorcycle queen of Miami, in this powerful picture book from Coretta Scott King medalist Charles R. Smith, Jr. and debut picture book illustrator Charlot Kristensen. The folks they lined up to meet the Motorcycle Queen, seated sidesattle on her motorbike machine. In 1929, 18-year-old Bessie Stringfield hopped on her motorcycle and headed out on an adventure, an unusual choice for a young Black woman at the time. Paying her way by winning motorcycle races, she criss-crossed the country through small towns, big cities, and wide open spaces. But not everyone was happy to see Bessie's brown face peeking out from underneath her helmet. And more than once, Bessie found herself making some quick exits on the back of her bike to escape Jim Crow. A trailblazer in the world of women's racing and motorcycling, Bessie Stringfield was a figure who will inspire all children to pursue their dreams. From the first line, award-winning author Charles R. Smith Jr.’s poetry evokes emotion, excitement, fear, and wonder in equal measures. Charlot Kristensen portrays Bessie and the American landscape with vivid imagery that is sure to capture the attention of young readers. A much-needed story about a Black woman who paved the way for future generations, for fans of The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson and My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero and Zeke Peña.

GRISELDA BLANCO grows up in the suburbs of Medellin, surrendered in the prostitution which she was prey at the age of 12. At the age of 18, she met her first husband, Carlos Trujillo, who made her three children before throwing out her. She returned on the sidewalk before knowing the man who would change her life, Alberto Bravo. Together, they emigrate to New York. In the American metropolis, they dashed into the traffic of cocaine. Griselda and Alberto imported several kilos of white powder every week which they sold to a kingpin of mafia. John Gotti, the mafia Godfather, contacted Griselda so that supplies him the goods. The spouses Bravo organized the delivery of these goods based on their Medellin childhood friends. Their business became so important. But the demand kept growing. They had set up a high-tech industry to supply their customers. Other friends of Medellin came into play, including the notorious Pablo Escobar Gaviria, given the manufacturing and delivery to United States. The business worked perfectly until the day where the intervention of the DEA agents who failed to arrest Alberto, putting an end to the traffic of the Bravo couple. Griselda and Alberto had to leave the North American territory. She never forgave him this error. Because American authorities had been warned by the Colombian police which noticed the excessive lifestyle of Alberto Bravo and put him under surveillance. Annoyed by the excesses of her husband, who spent more time to sniff cocaine and romp in the bed with the mules which he used to spend drugs, she decided to kill him. Griselda Blanco became them the leader of a new network, settling in Miami to sell his white powder. It was the beginning of the time of Miami Vice. From this moment, the war between gangs for the sale of cocaine became the daily lives of the inhabitants of Miami. Until the day when Griselda Blanco escaped an arrest and a murder attempted. She took refuge at her mother's, Ana Lucia, in Los Angeles. She had quiet moments with her mother and her son, Michael Corleone. But Robert Palombo, a DEA agent, found her trail and arrested her in the bungalow where she lived. She was incarcerated in the prison for woman of San Francisco. Over there, she met a boy who had her great admiration, Charles Cosby. Became lovers, she made him her representative outside of the prison. But her right-hand man of Miami, Jorge Riverito Ayala, was arrested by the police. And to escape from the prison, he began to speak. The American authorities had their information. Griselda Blanco was extradited towards Florida, where she was judged for murder. But during the trial, Charles Cosby revealed to the judge having had sexual relations with a secretary of the Prosecutor. The judgment, which had to be a mere formality, turned in a fiasco. Therefore, the judge negotiated with lawyers of Griselda to put an end to this trial. Griselda Blanco was extradited to her country of origin, Colombia. Griselda settled down in Medellin in the chic area of El Poblado where she had bought a villa in a secure subdivision. She lived there for several years before being shot to death on September 3, 2012 by two men who put two bullets in the head. Griselda Blanco was almost 70 years old.

The perfect introduction for learning about women throughout history who dared to do the extraordinary! Inspire our new generation of women to explore, discover, persist, succeed, and fight like a girl! A great gift for girls 9-12! Women have been doing amazing, daring, and dangerous things for years, but they're rarely mentioned in our history books as adventurers, daredevils, or rebels. This new compilation of brief biographies features women throughout history who have risked their lives for adventure—many of whom you may not know, but all of whom you'll WANT to know, such as: Annie Edson Taylor, the first person who dared to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman who dared to fly in space Helen Gibson, the first woman who dared to be a professional stunt person And many more! If you and your child enjoyed She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton, Little Dreamers, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls or Girls Think of Everything, you will love reading Women Who Dared.

Each Christmas between 1988 and 1995, Barry Lewis travelled to South Beach, Miami, to trade the harsh London winter for a tropical paradise. There he photographed the diverse (and eccentric) people who made up the community: fashionistas, newly-arrived Cubans (following the Meriel exodus in 1980), Jewish retirees from New York, drag queens and the gay population who flocked to Ocean Drive for the party scene. Lewis' images are accompanied by quotes from the subjects.

Blending the iconoclastic feminism of The Notorious RBG and the confident irreverence of Go the F**ck to Sleep, a brazen and empowering illustrated collection that celebrates inspirational badass women throughout history, based on the popular Tumblr blog. Well-behaved women seldom make history. Good thing these women are far from well behaved . . . Illustrated in a contemporary animation style, Rejected Princesses turns the ubiquitous "pretty pink princess" stereotype portrayed in movies, and on endless toys, books, and tutus on its head, paying homage instead to an awesome collection of strong, fierce, and yes, sometimes weird, women: warrior queens, soldiers, villains, spies, revolutionaries, and more who refused to behave and meekly accept their place. An entertaining mix of biography, imagery, and humor written in a fresh, young, and riotous voice, this thoroughly researched exploration salutes these awesome women drawn from both historical and fantastical realms, including real life, literature, mythology, and folklore. Each profile features an eye-catching image of both heroic and villainous women in command from across history and around the world, from a princess-cum-pirate in fifth century Denmark, to a rebel preacher in 1630s Boston, to a bloodthirsty Hungarian countess, and a former prostitute who commanded a fleet of more than 70,000 men on China’s seas.

Cuban motorcycle mechanics go to extremes to keep vintage American hogs rumbling more than a half century after the last Harley-Davidson dealership closed in socialist Cuba.Cut off from the United States, Harley riders on the island scavenge parts from battered old Soviet trucks, lawn mowers and even anti-tank guns.It's a tale of man and machine like no other in the world. Some Harley riders in Cuba fit their machines with tractor tires so they can venture into swampy scrubland to hunt for ducks and other wildlife. Others use their motorcycles to haul everything from human bones to cinder blocks.Word of the Cubans' exploits has reached motorcycle mechanics in the U.S., including famed custom bike builder Jesse James, who sent an autographed biker magazine to one mechanic, writing, “Long live Cuba!”“Cuban Thunder” includes interviews with more than 40 Harley riders, including legendary mechanic Sergio Morales, former stunt rider Antonio Miniet and Ernesto Guevara, the Cuban son of the late revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara.