In honor of Black History Month

By Ezekiel Newby

In honor of Black History Month, we celebrate Bessie Coleman and her amazing accomplishments.

By Ezekiel Newby

Bessie was born in 1892 in Waxahachie, Texas, and later moved to Chicago, looking for better opportunities. Like most Black women at that time, she didn’t have many job choices and became a manicurist.

Her life changed completely when her brother John came back from World War I in France with amazing stories about women flying planes in Europe. Inspired and determined, the 27-year-old decided she wanted to fly.

That path was hard, though, because American flight schools kept rejecting her because of gender and race. Determined to succeed, Bessie learned French and traveled to France to follow her dream.

In 1921, she earned her international pilot’s license from the famous Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, becoming the first African American woman to get a pilot’s license and the first American of any gender to earn an international flying license.

Back in America, Bessie became a flying star, wowing crowds with incredible aerial stunts. She performed figure eights, loop-the-loops and dangerous dives.

But her performances had a bigger purpose: inspiring African Americans to follow their dreams and raising money to start a flight school for Black pilots.

Tragedy happened in 1926 when Bessie Coleman died in a plane crash at age 34 during a practice flight.

Though her life ended too soon, her legacy lived on. She opened the skies for future generations of Black and women pilots, showing that determination and courage could overcome any barrier.

Today, her pioneering spirit continues to inspire everyone who dares to dream.