deaz

It's been a while since I've posted anything. And for this comeback, I wanted to honor an incredible woman: Bessie Stringfield.
Named “The Motorcycle Queen of Miami,” Bessie Stringfield was the first Black woman to cross the United States solo on a motorcycle. Eight times. At a time when being a woman, Black, and free on the roads was already an act of resistance. A self-taught stuntwoman and messenger for the U.S. Army during World War II, Bessie faced racism and sexism head-on: closed doors, assaults, being banned from racing, police harassment… Nothing stopped her.
While her story has some ambiguities, sometimes embellished by herself, she remains a pioneer whose exploits have not been forgotten. Painting her in this way is my way of showing her courage and defiance, and of reminding us that some roads were sometimes opened at the cost of silent struggles. A tribute to those who move forward, even when the path is denied them.

Bessie Stringfield (1911–1993) ✨

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