All-Black Female Crew Observes 100th Anniversary of Bessie Coleman’s First Flight
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent@StacyBrownMedia American Airlines celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license – Bessie Coleman accomplished that feat in 1922. With an all-Black female crew, the airlines hosted the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars tour, recognizing how Coleman bravely broke down barriers within the world of aviation and paved the path for many to follow. To help honor Coleman’s legacy, American Airlines hosted Gigi Coleman, Bessie’s great-niece, on a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Phoenix. An all-Black female crew
Black Angels Take Flight
Joshua Matthews, flight attendant, left, Kenny Jordan flies airplane during lesson, center, Kenny Jordan, right. By Megan Kirk The friendly skies have not always been so kind to Black people. Airports were largely segregated and many Blacks could not afford ticket fares. To make the distinction, though airlines were not legally segregated, airports actively practiced it and African Americans who did fly faced discrimination. Serving on the U.S. House of Representatives for Michigan, Charles Diggs Jr. helped to revolutionize segregation in national airports. It was not until 1948 when airports were legally desegregated