Bessie Coleman, born in 1892 in Texas, was a black woman of Native American and African American ancestry. She overcame poverty and discrimination to become the first black woman pilot, obtaining her license in France. She became a celebrity and symbol of women’s rights, and her legacy lives on through the Bessie Coleman Aero Club. She died in a plane crash in 1926.
Bessie Coleman, also known as “Queen Bess,” was born on January 26, 1892 in Atlanta, Texas, into a family of thirteen children of mixed Native American and African American ancestry. Her family was extremely poor and worked in the cotton fields, which somewhat influenced Coleman’s early education.
Bessie Coleman was expected to adapt to the times and either become a housewife or adopt a traditionally feminine career. However, Coleman had other ideas. She enrolled at Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University, but she dropped out due to lack of money; She Bessie Coleman later moved to Chicago, where she worked odd jobs in supermarkets, beauty salons and barbershops.
The idea of becoming a pilot soon struck Bessie Coleman, as she befriended local military pilots and aviation experts who frequented the barber shop where she worked. When no American flight school wanted to hire her as a student because of her race and gender, she Bessie Coleman packed up and moved to Paris.
After obtaining her pilot’s license, Bessie Coleman returned to America, where she was involved in air shows and flying competitions. The fact that she was a black woman who could fly made her an instant celebrity. She became known throughout the country and made frequent radio and newspaper appearances. She died on April 30, 1926, while practicing for a show on her plane. She was flying with her mechanic, who was actually the only one who died when the plane crashed. Coleman, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown off the plane.
Bessie Coleman is one of the few historical celebrities whose fame has not faded after her death. She has been inducted into the Women in Aviation Hall of Fame, her face has appeared on postage stamps and official publications, and she has become a symbol of women’s rights for those trying to make it into non-traditional careers. The Bessie Coleman Aero Club was founded in 1929 specifically to teach black women who would not be admitted to mainstream schools.
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