Despite Jim Crow obstacles in her way, Bessie Stringfield rode across America to become the “motorcycle queen” of the 1930s.
AMA Motorcycle Hall of FameBessie Stringfield on her infamous grunter .
Despite the Jim Crow laws intend to keep her down , the daring Bessie Stringfield go under out against hardship to research the United States via motorcycle at a time when such a thing was unheard of for multitude like her .
Her Unknown Origins
Bessie Stringfield ’s origins are undecipherable and that ’s partially because Stringfield herself has been inconsistent in discourse her own background knowledge .
By some accounts , she was born in Jamaica in 1911 . By others , she was expect in the U.S. in 1912 . Even her authoritative biographer , Ann Ferrar , agreedto keep up Stringfield ’s folktales about her own upbringing because Stringfield had asked that she “ tell her truth as her friend . ”
By one of Stringfield ’s accounts , she was bear in Kingston , Jamaica and was abandon by her sire only to be adopted by an Irish - Catholic woman in Boston . But Stringfield ’s niece , Esther Bennett , disputes this story and says alternatively that Stringfield ’s parents lived in North Carolina and she was fire by them . “ I do n’t know anything about Jamaican . She was never adopt , ” she says .
AMA Motorcycle Hall of FameBessie Stringfield on her infamous hog.
Ferrar speculates that Springfield lied about her beginnings because she was “ running from her other past ” and did n’t want to let it decrease what she had achieve subsequently in her life .
AMA Motorcycle Hall of FameBessie Stringfield pose with her alloy steed .
In truth , nothing can diminish what Springfield was able to do in her time . Having receive her first motorcycle from her female parent when she was just 16 years honest-to-goodness , the gutsy untried adult female taught herself how to ride it .
AMA Motorcycle Hall of FameBessie Stringfield poses with her metal steed.
This early feat would foreshadow how Stringfield lived out the remainder of her liveliness . From 1929 until her death in 1993,Stringfield locomote all across Americaby bike .
The Journey Of Bessie Stringfield
Bessie Stringfield begin her cross - country tour by hog at just 19 year old . She flipped a centime onto a function of the country to determine her address and off she die . By 1930 , she became the first African - American woman bed to have jaunt via motorcycle to all 48 state in the continental United States .
This accomplishment is peculiarly remarkable considering that the betting odds of Stringfield participate in any activity as liberating as independently traveling the res publica were perfectly against her . The civil rights movement would not start until Stringfield was already well into her travel , and she faced vast sum of discrimination along her journeying .
As tell through Ferrar in Stringfield ’s biography , Jim Crow laws and racial prejudice prevented her from being able to stay at most motel . “ If you had black skin you could n’t get a place to stay . I knew the Lord would take care of me and He did . If I find black common people , I ’d stay with them . If not , I ’d sleep at filling post on my motorcycle , ” Stringfieldsaid . “ Colored masses could n’t hold on at hotels or motels back then . But it never bothered me . ”
AMA Motorcycle Hall of FameBessie Stringfield on her cross-country road tour.
Throughout , Stringfield deal to keep her two - wheeled independence through the great of hardships . During World War II , Stringfield became a civilian motorcycle dispatcher for the U.S. armed services — and was the only womanhood in her unit .
AMA Motorcycle Hall of FameBessie Stringfield on her transverse - country route tour .
“Motorcycle Queen of Miami”
Ever the thrill quester , Bessie Stringfield married and disassociate six time throughout her life . When she did finally settle down down , she chose Miami .
There , go in the 1950s , she became a nursemaid but sought to stay her two - wheel bequest . Police , however , made it clear that they were n’t go to allow a pitch-dark woman to ride around on her cycle and so refused her a license .
But , as she tells it , Stringfield demanded a meeting with the police chief , who happened to be a white motorcycle fuzz . He took her to a park and require her to do a number of hard motorcycle tricks . And of class , Stringfield land them all .
“ From that day on , I did n’t have any hassle from the police force , and I got my licence too , ” said Stringfield . It was then that she realize the very well deserved claim of the “ Motorcycle Queen of Miami . ”
Bessie Stringfield later developed a chronic heart precondition , and despite warnings from her Doctor of the Church , refuse to quit horseback riding . She never stop until her death in 1993 at the long time of 82 .
After this look at Bessie Stringfield , read aboutBessie Coleman , America ’s first black female pilot . Then , check out these incredibleimages of the Hells Angels biker gang .
