As the child of Texas sharecroppers, Bessie Coleman had to walk four miles to her segregated school every day, never dreaming of the wings that would carry her in adulthood. In 1916, she moved to Chicago where her job in a barber shop exposed her to the stories of pilots returning from the First World War. Coleman was determined to get a pilot’s license but no flying school in the country would teach a woman, much less one of African descent. Coleman travelled to France where she learned to fly and received her license. For many years, “Queen Bess” thrilled airshow crowds with spectacular stunts and earned her a living as a professional aviatrix. She died in a crash at the age of 34 before being able to fulfill her dream of establishing a school for African-American fliers.