American Wings
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American Wings by Sherri L Smith
From the acclaimed author of Flygirl andthe bestselling author of Code Name Verity comes the thrilling and inspiring true story of the desegregation of the skies."This beautiful and brilliant history of not only what it means to be Black and dream of flying but to, against every odd, do so, completely blew me away." -Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award Winner for Brown Girl Dreaming
In the years between World War I and World War II, aviation fever was everywhere, including among Black Americans. But what hope did a Black person have of learning to fly in a country constricted by prejudice and Jim Crow laws, where Black aviators like Bessie Coleman had to move to France to earn their wings?
American Wings follows a group of determined Black Americans- Cornelius Coffey and Johnny Robinson, skilled auto mechanics; Janet Harmon Bragg, a nurse; and Willa Brown, a teacher and social worker. Together, they created a flying club and built their own airfield south of Chicago. As the U.S. hurtled toward World War II, they established a school to train new pilots, teaching both Black and white students together and proving, in a time when the U.S. military was still segregated, that successful integration was possible.
Featuring rare historical photographs, American Wings brings to light a hidden history of pioneering Black men and women who, with grit and resilience, battled powerful odds for an equal share of the sky.
Elizabeth Wein was born in New York City, raised in the United Kingdom, and now lives in Scotland with her husband and two children. She is a frequent small plane flyer. She also has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in Folklore. Her website is www.elizabethwein.com.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780593323984 |
| ISBN 10 | 059332398X |
| Title | American Wings |
| Author | Sherri L Smith |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Penguin Putnam Inc |
| Year published | 2024-01-16 |
| Number of pages | 384 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |