"Bessie Stringfield"(1911-1993)

A.k.a. "BB," was the first black woman to make eight long distances solo tours across the U.S. on a motorcycle in the 1930's,BB rode her bike through areas known as for racial violence and

prejudice.Bessie was born in Kingston,Jamaica but her parents migrated to Boston when she was still young.Her parents died when she was five and she was adopted and raised by an Irish woman.At the age of sixteen Bessie taught herself to ride her first motorcycle,a 1928 Indian Scout.At the of nineteen she commenced traveling across the United States and eventually rode through Europe,Brazil,and Haiti.During this time she earned money from performing motorcycle stunts in carnival shows.Due to her skin color,she was often denied accommodation while traveling,so she would on her motorcycle at gas stations.Due to Bessie sex,she was refused prizes in flat track races she entered.During WW2 Bessie served as a civilian courier for the US Army,carrying documents between army bases.During the four years she worked for the Army she crossed the United States eight times.She regularly encounted racism during this time,reportedly being deliberately knocked down by a white man in a pickup truck while traveling in the South.In the 1950s she moved to Miami, Florida where at first she was told "nigger women are not allowed to ride motorcycles "by the local police.She qualified as a nurse there and founded the Iron Horse Motorcycle Club.Her skills and antics at motorcycle shows gained the attention of the local press,leading the nickname of  "The Negro Motorcycle Queen."This nickname lated changed to "The Motorcycle Queen of Miami,"a moniker she carried for the remainder of her life.In her personal life,Bessie married and divorced six times.She lost three children over the years.Her final husband,Arthur Stringfield,asked that Bessie keep his last name because it made him famous.She died from an enlarge heart.In 2002 she was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.