(AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWSWIRE)PICKERINGTON, OHIO -- The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the premier museum on motorcycling in America, announces the opening of "Heroes of Harley-Davidson, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance," an expansive new exhibit that chronicles 100 years of Harley-Davidson people, personalities and products.

One of the hundreds of inspiring men and women whose stories come to life in this landmark exhibit is Bessie Stringfield, dubbed 'the Motorcycle Queen of Miami' by her hometown newspaper. As one of the first African American women to challenge both racial and gender barriers, Stringfield's story is especially inspiring as the nation celebrates both Black History Month and Women's History Month-and Harley-Davidson's century of heritage.

Bessie Stringfield received her first motorcycle in 1927, at the age of 16. When she was 19, she set out on the first of eight solo cross-country tours on one of the 27 Harley-Davidsons she would own. She traversed all of America, including the segregated South. Living and riding in an era when most African-American women, in fact most women, were trapped in domestic roles, the audacious 4' 3" Stringfield was a true pioneer. Her strength, fierce independence and resilience more than compensated for her diminutive size, leading her to jobs that ranged from stunt rider to World War II civilian courier for the Army's motorcycle dispatch unit.

Bessie Stringfield died in 1993 at the age of 82, after having spent 63 years on two wheels. She was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2002. Her story, as well as that of several other women who used their passion for motorcycling to break down barriers, is one of 22 exhibit areas comprising "Heroes of Harley-Davidson, presented by Progressive Insurance." Bessie's adventures and triumphs have also been chronicled by Ann Ferrar in her book "Hear Me Roar: Women, Motorcycles and the Rapture of the Road," available from Whitehorse Press.

"Heroes of Harley-Davidson, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance" is open through December 2004.

The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is located on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association, just east of Columbus, Ohio. The Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; noon to 4.p.m. on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day; and closed on New Year's, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Adult admission is $4 per person; ages 17 and under are admitted free. For more information, call (614) 856-2222, or visit the Museum's website at www.motorcyclemuseum.org.

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