1893-1926

African American Pilot

The first African-American female pilot, Bessie Coleman's aviation achievements demonstrated that women and blacks were capable of mastering flight. Her accomplishments also symbolized the potential of using technology for various applications. Although Coleman earned her pilot's license before Amelia Earhart (1898-1937), the latter was a better-known aviatrix in part because she was wealthy and white. During her brief career as a pilot, Coleman was a pioneer black barnstormer and stunt flyer, but her premature death in a plane crash resulted in her contributions to aviation remaining obscure.

Born on January 26, 1893, in Atlanta, Texas, Elizabeth Coleman, known as Bessie to her family and fans, was the daughter of share-croppers George and Susan Coleman. When George Coleman abandoned his family, Bessie Coleman helped her mother by harvesting cotton and washing and ironing laundry. Determined to improve her circumstances, Coleman voraciously read books written by...