AMERICAN WINGS: CHICAGO’S PIONEERING BLACK AVIATORS AND THE RACE FOR EQUALITY IN THE SKY, by Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, Jan. 16, 2024, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult)
American Wings, by Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein, tells the story of Chicago’s pioneering black aviators and the race for equality in the sky.
In the years between World War I and World War II, aviation fever was everywhere, including among Black Americans. But what hope did a Black person have of learning to fly in a country constricted by prejudice and Jim Crow laws, where Black aviators like Bessie Coleman had to move to France to earn their wings?
American Wings follows a group of determined Black Americans: Cornelius Coffey and Johnny Robinson, skilled auto mechanics; Janet Harmon Bragg, a nurse; and Willa Brown, a teacher and social worker. Together, they created a flying club and built their own airfield south of Chicago. As the U.S. hurtled toward World War II, they established a school to train new pilots, teaching both Black and white students together and proving, in a time when the U.S. military was still segregated, that successful integration was possible.
Featuring rare historical photographs, American Wings brings to light a hidden history of pioneering Black men and women who, with grit and resilience, battled powerful odds for an equal share of the sky. —Synopsis provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
American Wings tells the true story of the desegregation of the skies. This fascinating nonfiction read that reads almost like a novel thanks to the fantastic writing duo of Sherri L. Smith (Flygirl) and Elizabeth Wein (Code Name Verity). Their text has a warm conversational tone that’s got an easy, accessible feel to it.
Though the official page count of American Wings is 376 pages, just over 100 of those pages are dedicated to an authors’ note, source notes, a list of resources, and an index. This book is extremely well researched, and it shows.
With a topic like flight, American Wings is sure to appeal to a large cross-section of readers. And I can see a lot of adults being drawn to it as well. It’s an excellent read.
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