Bessie Stringfield

Dorktales Podcast: Episode 88

Hidden Heroes of History

Bessie Stringfield

A story of courage and adventure! Bessie Stringfield, revved through societal barriers to become the first Black woman to ride solo across the United States on a motorcycle in 1930. From braving the bumpy and dangerous roads to serving as a dispatch rider in World War II, Bessie’s adventurous spirit and unwavering courage broke new ground for women and Black motorcycle riders. She defied the limitations of her time and pursued her passion against all odds, earning her the respect of her community and the title “Motorcycle Queen of Miami.”

Did You Know?

Bessie Stringfield was the first Black woman to cross the United States on a motorcycle in 1930.

Bessie Stringfield loved motorcycles and she taught herself how to ride, practicing on her upstairs neighbor’s motorcycle. When her adoptive mother found out, she reminded Bessie that “nice girls” don’t ride around on motorcycles. It was her way of saying that it wasn’t a proper thing for girls to do in the 1930s. But Bessie couldn’t give up on something that she was discovering a passion for.

When she turned 16 years old, her mother gave in and bought her a motorcycle of her own. It was a 1928 Indian. (The Indian Motorcycle Company was America’s first maker of motorcycles.)

Bessie loved riding a motorcycle so much that, in 1930, she opened a paper map, flipped a penny on it and decided to ride her motorcycle wherever it landed. This started her on her first of eight journeys across the United States.

Her spirit of adventure for the open roads could get very dangerous because many places were not welcoming to Black people, especially a Black woman who was by herself.

Bessie lived in a time where there were Jim Crow laws in many Southern States. These laws made it so Black people were treated unfairly. In Bessie’s case, she would encounter angry white people who would run her off the road and many motels wouldn’t let her spend the night there because she was Black.

Bessie learned ways to stay safe by meeting friendly Black families who’d let her sleep in their homes. And if that wasn’t available to her, she’d park in a gas station and sleep on her motorcycle.

Traveling the United States on a motorcycle was a physically uncomfortable experience too. The highway system we enjoy today, with its wide and paved roads, wasn’t put in place until 1956, about 16 years after Bessie’s first ride. The quality of roads varied from state to state. Add that to the fact that motorcycles at that time didn’t have the same suspension systems, so every time Bessie hit a bump in the road, she really felt it. And in 1930, there were a lot of bumps.

Bessie learned to be her own mechanic so when her motorcycle broke down, she could fix it on her own. She put her skills to good use when she served in the U.S. Army during World War II. She was a civilian motorcycle dispatch rider caring messages, documents, and orders between military units. And she was the only woman in her unit.

Her military work meant she got to spend even more time riding across the United States by herself with only the open road and her motorcycle. This was her favorite way to be.

After the war, she moved to Florida and bought her own house. She started the Iron Horse Motorcycle Club and rode around Miami earning herself the nickname, the “Motorcycle Queen of Miami.”

She still faced discrimination and unfair treatment. The local police would try to stop her from riding. But, after impressing the police captain with her motorcycle tricks, like making figure 8s, they never bothered her again.

Bessie Stringfield’s courage and adventurous spirit helped break down barriers for both women and Black riders.