American Wings

December 18, 2023
Smith (The Blossom and the Firefly) and Wein (Stateless) chronicle the history of Black pilots in this essential and richly informative work. Opening with the story of Cornelius Robinson Coffey (1903–1994), a Black teen who was determined to fly despite a white pilot’s attempts to scare him, the authors detail how white people believed that Black people were incapable of flying because they were seen as unintelligent, lazy, and gutless. The creators assert that Coffey, among others, were likely motivated by Bessie Coleman (1892–1926), the first Black female pilot, whom straightforward text notes as having “opened the skies up to her people.” Black Americans soon flocked to aviation, upending white society’s unfounded beliefs. Despite massive progress, however, Black women pilots such as Janet Harmon Bragg (1907–1993), the first woman to attend the Curtiss-Wright School of Aviation, still found it difficult to pursue their dreams. Inspirational singular stories feature famous names and institutions such as the Tuskegee Airmen, b&w archival photographs imbue the historical narrative with contemporary-feeling familiarity, and nail-biting tales of flights gone wrong add verve, making for an exciting and richly rendered addition to the history of Black aviation. An epilogue contextualizes Black pilots’ impact on society, including pop culture media such as Star Trek. Ages 12–up.