American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky

American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky - Hardcover

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American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky
  • American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky
American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky - Hardcover

American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky - Hardcover

by Sherri L. Smith , Elizabeth Wein
$19.99
$19.99

Book Overview

From the acclaimed author of Flygirl and the 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.
ISBN9780593323984
Author Sherri L. Smith , Elizabeth Wein
PublisherG.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
GenreYoung adult, Technology, Society & culture, and History
FormatHardcover
PublishedJanuary 2024
LanguageENG- English
Pages384
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceTeens & young adults and Adults
Print SizeStandard Print

Related Subjects

Young Adult History Young Adult Nonfiction Young Adults

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About Sherri L. Smith
Sherri L. Smith is the author of numerous acclaimed fiction and nonfiction books for young people, including American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky, co-authored with Elizabeth Wein; Flygirl, the winner of the California Book Awards' Gold Medal; The Blossom and the Firefly, the winner of the Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators; Orleans; and Who Were the Tuskegee Airmen?
About Elizabeth Wein
Elizabeth Wein was born in New York City, grew up abroad, and currently lives in Scotland. She is an avid flyer of small planes. She also holds a PhD in Folklore from the University of Pennsylvania. Visit her at www.elizabethwein.com.

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