[NEWS RELEASE FROM THE PUBLISHER]
Bessie Coleman: Flying the
Blues - New eBook Chronicles Life & Career of First Black Woman to Earn
Pilot’s License
Jacksonville, FL – As she proved throughout her sky-high
career, Bessie Coleman was unstoppable. When U.S. flying schools refused to
allow her entry, she quickly learned French and departed for France, gaining her
pilot’s license from the coveted Caudron Brother’s School of Aviation in just
seven months.
In a powerful new book researched and compiled by Opio Sokoni, Bessie’s life
and career is brought back into the spotlight for the current generation to
enjoy and appreciate.
‘Bessie Coleman: Flying the Blues’ proves that determination and passion is
stronger than any of society’s constraints.
Synopsis:
Flying the Blues" takes a look at the times of the roaring twenties in
the United States through the life of pioneering aviatrix Bessie Coleman. She
was admired by the women and men of her day in aviatrix because of her death
defying skills as an airshow barnstormer. She was the first American woman to
receive an international pilot’s license and first African American to receive a
pilots license. Her influence reached beyond race and gender. She inspired
Amelia Earhart who came after Bessie.
Coleman died in 1926 in a plane crash one day before an airshow she was
to headline in Jacksonville, Florida. Coleman's dream of opening a school
inspired her followers to form the schools that lead to the training of the
famed World War II black pilots called the Tuskegee Airmen. This book is the
most thorough research done into the life and circumstances of this American
female pioneer in the field of aeronautics.
Finally, this ebook captures race and Bessie's connection to the hugely
popular Blues and Jazz music genres.
As the author explains, Coleman remains a celebrated figure during the annual
Black History Month.
“Bessie Coleman’s remarkable story of courage and achievement is still
celebrated every February. She is hugely popular among aeronautics enthusiasts
and is cherished by those who fought hard during the Women’s and Civil Rights
Movements,” says Sokoni.
Continuing, “She was one of the first pioneers to break down social barriers
and confront an issue that many at the time kept quiet. Not only was it rare for
a woman to become a pilot, but the fact she was an African American woman made
her achievements all the more important.”
As a renowned political commentator, Sokoni had good reason to teach the
world about Bessie Coleman.
“Bessie died in my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida and there has been
nothing named in her honor. Amelia Earhart and the Wright brothers have streets
in this city named after them, but not Bessie, who has a closer tie to
Jacksonville than either of them,” he adds.
The book has also inspired an entertaining and informative documentary
surrounding Coleman’s life. Proving popular with internet audiences, the film
can be accessed here:
http://bit.ly/WX9Kwt
‘Bessie Coleman: Flying the Blues’ is available now:
www.Poli-Tainment.com
and on Amazon.com.
About the author:
Opio is a political commentator and founder of Poli-Tainment, Inc., a
non-profit organization which uses various forms of entertainment to educate the
public about important issues. He is also a documentary filmmaker whose subjects
are media images, Hip Hop and meth addiction. Mr. Sokoni’s writings include
books about the Seminole Wars, the plight of black police officers and a history
about black music genres created in the United States. Opio has a BA in
political science from Norfolk State University, a masters in criminal justice
from the University of North Florida and a law degree from Howard University. He
resides in Jacksonville, Florida.
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