Anne Bustard: Children's Author

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Bessie

January 26 Birthday: Bessie Coleman

by Anne on January 26, 2010

TalkingAbtBessie

Bessie Coleman, aviator

Jan. 26, 1892-Apr. 30, 1926

Talkin’ About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (Orchard, 2002)

The first African-American woman airplane pilot’s story is told in approximately two-dozen fictionalized poems a.k.a. eulogies about her life.

PBS features a bio and photo of Coleman on their Fly Girls page.

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September 3 Birthday: Bessie Delany

by Anne on September 3, 2009

Bessie Delany, dentist and author

Sept. 3, 1891- Sept. 25,1995


Women of Hope: African Americans Who Made a Difference by Joyce Hansen (Scholastic, 1998)

Bessie Delany, who lived to be 104, came to national attention when she and her sister and a New York Times reporter collaborated on the story of her and her sister’s life: Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years. Delany was the second African American woman to become a dentist in NY.

For more information about Bessie Delany, visit the Columbia250 web site.

April 15 Birthday: Bessie Smith

by Anne on April 15, 2009

Bessie Smith, musician

Apr. 15, 1894-Sept. 26, 1937

blues singers

The Blues Singers: Ten Who Rocked the World by Julius Lester,illustrated by Lisa Cohen (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, 2001)

Smith hit the road as a singer at the age of 17. She was known for her big voice. Her first record was called Downhearted Blues.

Read more about Smith on the PBS site about Ken Burns’ film, Jazz.

January 26 Birthday: Bessie Coleman

by Anne on January 26, 2009

Bessie Coleman, aviator

Jan. 26, 1892-Apr. 30, 1926

Talkin’ About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (Orchard, 2002)

The first African-American woman airplane pilot’s story is told in approximately two-dozen fictionalized poems a.k.a. eulogies about her life.

PBS features a bio and photo of Coleman on their Fly Girls page.

September 3 Birthday: Bessie Delany

by Anne on September 3, 2008

women of hopeBessie Delany, dentist and author

Sept. 3, 1891- Sept. 25,1995

Women of Hope: African Americans Who Made a Difference by Joyce Hansen (Scholastic, 1998)

Bessie Delany, who lived to be 104, came to national attention when she and her sister and a New York Times reporter collaborated on the story of her and her sister’s life: Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years. Delany was the second African American woman to become a dentist in NY.

For more information about the Delany sisters, visit the Having Our Say web site.