a biography of the day--bessie coleman

[niyad]

Bessie Coleman
African American Woman Pilot



Known for: pioneer in aviation; first African American woman with a pilot's license, first African American woman to fly a plane; first American with an international pilot's license.
Occupation: aviator: stunt pilot
Dates: January 26, 1892 (some sources give 1893) - April 30, 1926
Also known as: Queen Bess, Brave Bessie
Bessie Coleman Biography

Bessie Coleman was born in Atlanta, Texas, in 1892. The family soon moved to a farm near Dallas. Her father, George Coleman, moved to Indian Territory, Oklahoma, in 1901, where he had rights, based on having three Indian grandparents. His wife, Susan, with five of their children still at home, refused to go with him. She supported the children by picking cotton and taking in laundry and ironing.

. . .


One of her contacts through her job as a manicurist was Robert S. Abbott, publisher of the Chicago Defender. He encouraged her to go to France to study flying there. She got a new position managing a chili restaurant while studying French at the Berlitz school. She followed Abbott's advice, and, with funds from several sponsors including Abbott, left for France in
1920. In France, Bessie Coleman was accepted in a flying school, and received her pilot's license -- the first African American woman to do so. After two more months of study with a French pilot, she returned to New York in September, 1921. There, she was celebrated in the black press and was ignored by the mainstream press
. . . . .



Every April 30, African American aviators -- men and women -- fly in formation over Lincoln Cemetery in southwest Chicago (Blue Island) and drop flowers on Bessie Coleman's grave.
Black flyers founded the Bessie Coleman Aero Clubs, right after her death. the Bessie Aviators organization was founded by black women pilots in 1975, open to women pilots of all races.

In 1990, Chicago renamed a road near O'Hare International Airport for Bessie Coleman. That same year, Lambert - St. Louis International Airport unveiled a mural honoring "Black Americans in Flight," including Bessie Coleman. In 1995, the U.S. Postal Service honored Bessie Coleman with a commemorative stamp.

In October, 2002, Bessie Coleman was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in New York.

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/aviationpilots/a/bessie_coleman.htm

[TheDebbieDee]

1. I did research and wrote a paper about Bessie Coleman a couple of years ago.

Supposedly there is film of Bessie flying over Paris.

I really admire her for figuring out a different way to accomplish her goals. It took her a lot longer to become a pilot but she was able to do it in a way that was far less confrontational........

Big ups to Bessie!

ETA: I also found out during my research that a rather large and visible African-American community was established in and around Paris after WWI. Many AA veterans liked the way they were treated in France and decided to return there, some with their families, after the war ended. The most visible member of the AA community in Paris was entertainer/dancer Josephine Baker.

[niyad]

2. just from the little bit I read here, she was truly remarkable. will definitely read more.

I was thinking about baker before you even mentioned her.