(Original - 20" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas, Not For Sale)

Bessie Coleman AKA "Queen Bess" was the first African American & Native American woman to hold a pilots license in the US. Upon discovering flight schools in the US did not admit women or African Americans, she saved money & sailed to France where she obtained an international aviation license in Paris. In order to make a living flying, she decided to learn stunt flying, but was unable to find anyone wiling to teach her in the US. So she sailed back to Europe to learn this form of flying in France, the Netherlands & Germany. When she returned to the US, she would dazzle crowds with her daredevil flight maneuvers at air shows. She was offered a role in a feature length film entitled "Shadow & Sunshine" and accepted it, but upon discovering that she would be portrayed in a deprecating way, she refused to play a part in perpetuating such stereotypical images of African Americans.

In "Black Birds in the Sky: The Legacies of Bessie Coleman and Dr. Mae Jemison". Mae Jamison said, "...I point to Bessie Coleman and say here is a woman, a being, who exemplifies and serves as a model for all humanity, the very definition of strength, dignity, courage, integrity, and beauty."

The photographed original will not be on sale until March 2024, but prints are. Please select the print size you want.