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Bessie Coleman was not able to fulfill her dream of opening a flight school for Black women.
But she remains an inspiration. Whether she is remembered by name or not, her legacy lives on in the growing number of Black female pilots flying our planes today.
▲ Bessie Coleman died at the age of 34 along with her mechanic, William Wills. Being White, Wills received most of the news coverage about the accident. An article in the Florida Times-Union even noted that he had been “teaching Bessie how to fly.” That wasn’t true, of course. In contrast, the Chicago Defender ran the story on the front page, and it was all about Coleman.
Reflection
Reflect on the coverage Coleman’s death received in the two newspapers. How did it mirror the times? What does it tell you about believing everything you read in a newspaper?
Ida B. Wells, a well-known journalist and activist of the time, spoke at Coleman’s funeral in Chicago, which was attended by thousands of people. This was the first of many honors Coleman received. Here are a few of the others: A library in Chicago was named in her honor. A road at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is known as Bessie Coleman Drive. A historical marker was placed near her former home in Chicago. May 2 was identified as Bessie Coleman Day in Chicago. Black pilots adopted the tradition of dropping flowers during flyovers of Coleman’s grave in Cook County, Illinois. ▶
◀ In 1992, the Chicago City Council requested a stamp to honor Bessie Coleman. The request noted that “Bessie Coleman continues to inspire untold thousands, even millions, of young persons with her sense of adventure, her positive attitude, and her determination to succeed.” The stamp was issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 1995 as part of the Black Heritage series. In 2023, the U.S. Mint released a special quarter featuring Coleman’s image as part of the American Women Quarters Program.
The Bessie Coleman Foundation was founded in 1995 and renamed the Bessie Coleman Aerospace Legacy in 2007. The organization continues Coleman’s dream of encouraging young women in minority groups to participate in aviation. It provides classes and scholarships to interested students. ▶
◀ Now, decades after she made aviation history, Coleman is in the hall of fame – but not just one hall of fame. In 2000, she was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame and in 2001 into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. In 2006, she was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame and in 2014 into the International Air and Space Hall of Fame. Coleman has been the subject of several books for young readers and at least two biographies.
▲ With or without her name attached to an organization, Bessie Coleman continues to inspire young Blacks – especially Black females – to dream of the skies. In 2017, an organization called Sisters of the Skies formed with the plan to increase the number of Black women pilots. The organization provides scholarships and interactive events that give students important experiences. ▶
Bessie Coleman has been an inspiration to people she could not have known, people who today fly our planes and spread the word about her. Here is what a few of them say about Coleman.
◀ Mya Coley got her start in aviation as a student in the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars, founded by Coleman’s great-niece, Gigi Coleman, in 2013. According to Coley, if not for Gigi, she would not know anything about aviation. Coley now has a pilot’s license and works part-time as a flight instructor.
Mae Jemison was the first Black woman in space, in 1992. She carried Coleman’s picture with her on the flight. About herself, Jemison said, “I was embarrassed and saddened that I did not learn of her until my spaceflight beckoned on the horizon. . . . I wished I had known her while I was growing up, but then again, I think she was there with me all the time.” ▶
◀ At the age of 50, Carole Hopson left her job with a corporation to follow her dream of becoming a pilot. Today, she flies for a major airline. “When I first learned about Bessie Coleman, I thought I had met a superhero,” she says. “When people told me I couldn’t do what I wanted to do, I thought of her. Bessie never quit. But more than that, she was a critical thinker. If she found out she couldn’t do something here, she would think, ‘Where can I do it?’ That’s the spark that inspired me.”
Kayla Stewart is an award-winning writer for the Texas Monthly and other publications. Here’s what she says about Bessie Coleman: “While Coleman’s story isn’t generally taught in history books – in Texas or elsewhere – her legacy has influenced countless other Black women, underrepresented aviators, and marginalized people.” ▶
◀ Zakiya Percy is a professional pilot and certified flight instructor at the Luke Weathers Jr. Flight Academy in Olive Branch, Mississippi. You can almost hear the voice of Bessie Coleman when she talks about her childhood, “I told myself as a kid, you’re already a captain on a 777 flying international. You just have to get there.”
Reflection
Do you have – or do you know someone who has – a dream about their future, like Coleman? Share your ideas for how to achieve the dream.
