Coleman, Bessie

Date of birth: January 26, 1892 or 1893.

Place of birth: Atlanta, Texas.

Died: April 30, 1926.

Major contributions: First American woman to gain international pilot’s license; first African American woman to fly in the United States.

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nown as “Queen Bess,” Bessie Coleman was the first African American woman to fly and a well-known early stunt pilot. Her example inspired other African Americans to take up flying.

Coleman was one of thirteen chil­dren born to a father who was part Native American and a mother who was African American. When she was nine, her father decided to move to Indian Territory—now the state of Oklahoma-hoping to escape the discrimination that he faced in Texas. Bessie remained behind in Texas with her mother and several sisters. Soon after, she finished elementary school and began working as a laundress. Bessie hoped to continue her education, but she could only afford to attend school for one more semester.

In 1915 Bessie Coleman moved to Chicago, where she joined a brother who lived there. Working in a barbershop as a manicurist, she became friends with Robert S. Abbott, publisher of the Chicago Defender, an important African American newspaper.

Newsreel and magazine stories about the new field of aviation interested Coleman. She applied to flight schools across the United States but was turned down because of her race and gender. Abbott suggested that she obtain the needed training in France, where there was less racial prejudice. Taking his

advice, Coleman learned French and saved her money to pay for lessons. She sailed for France in November 1920.

After several months of training, Coleman received her license to fly and returned to the United States. Black newspapers across the country hailed her as the first female African American pilot. To earn a living, Coleman decided to become a stunt pilot. To be success­ful, however, she needed to learn more tricks. Once again unable to find anyone in the United States to teach her, she returned to Europe early in 1922 for a few more months of training.

Back in the United States once again, Coleman took part in her first air show in September 1922. She was sponsored by Abbott’s newspaper and dazzled the crowd. A few weeks later, she appeared in another show in Chicago and went on to take part in several more.

Coleman dreamed of launching a fly­ing school for African Americans, but she could not afford to buy an airplane until early 1923. The plane she bought was an older model, and it stalled and crashed during a flight. Seriously injured in the crash, Coleman needed eighteen months to recuperate.

In the middle of 1925, Coleman began stunt flying again, putting on a spectacular show in Houston, Texas. Coleman also began touring to give lec­tures to black audiences about the thrill of flying. She hoped to use the fees she received to launch her flying school.

Early in 1926, she managed to buy another plane. Once again, it was an

BESSIE COLEMAN’S LEGACY

Coleman’s bravery and determination inspired African Americans in a time when they suffered from segregation and other forms of dis­crimination. In 1929, pilot William J. Powell and other African American aviators formed the first Bessie Coleman Aero Club. On Labor Day 1931, the club organized an all-black air show in Los Angeles, California. Similar aero clubs were founded in many cities across the country. Also in 1931, a group of African American pilots flew over Coleman’s gravesite in Chicago, a tradition still carried on today. Powell continued to honor Bessie Coleman by promoting avia­tion in the black community.

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older plane, one left over from World War I. The day before an air show in Jacksonville, Florida, Coleman and her mechanic took the plane aloft to test it. A loose wrench fell into the plane’s gears, causing the mechanic-who was piloting the plane-to lose control. The plane flipped over, throwing Coleman to her death. The plane then crashed, killing the pilot.

SEE ALSO: • Aerobatics • Barnstorming • Pilot