Bessie Coleman Should Be Celebrated:The first black, female aviator 'flew above' adversity

[Opinion] Alfred Oshin

Bessie Coleman was a black woman born in Atlanta, Texas in 1892. Bessie breathed the toxic atmosphere all black people of her time were forced to inhale: racism. The dread of being lynched on the whim of their white countrymen was a reality for every black person in the South of the United States at that time. This fear was impressed upon her mind at the tender age of 6 when, in a nearby town, a black man was lynched for an alleged crime.

Growing up Bessie helped her parents earn their meagre living picking cotton. In the little free time she had, Bessie attended a school, which was four miles away, and had so few resources that students often lacked paper or pencils.

Bessie Coleman’s imagination was lit by the daring tales of fighter pilots from the First World War. It is probable that she had heard of the exploits of the first, and probably only, black American fighter pilot of that war Eugene Bullard. She began to imagine the unimaginable. Bessie Coleman wanted to become an aviator.

Female aviators in the beginning of the 20th century were white, wealthy, well-educated and socially well-connected. This made the gender barrier almost insignificant. This was not the case for black women, or men for that matter. A combination of racist laws and attitudes meant it was impossible for black people to learn to fly in America. Bessie’s poverty, gender, color, lack of influential connections and rudimentary education should have kept her dreams, dreams.

Bessie’s philosophy was "where there’s a will, there is a way," and Bessie had a Herculean will. She knew France was a more racially tolerant country than America, and more importantly the French would permit her to take flying lessons. So working two jobs she saved for the trip to France, took French lessons and before leaving for Paris in 1920 she had reached a high degree of proficiency in French.

On June 15, 1921 after months of rigorous training, and witnessing a fatal air accident of a fellow student, Bessie Coleman made history. She became the first black woman to be awarded an international aviation licence and an aviation pilot’s license. However, for Bessie Coleman her flying career had only just got off the ground. She travelled to Holland and Germany taking advanced flying courses from the Fokker Corporation, at the time it was the world leader in Aeronautic design and training.

Bessie Coleman received a hero’s welcome upon her return to America. The press were full of praise at her achievements. It’s ironic the same America that refused to teach her to become an aviator, now embraced her because she was an accomplished one. Bessie Coleman like most pilots of her time, made a living performing stunts. Her skill and daring were legendary.

Bessie lived as she died. In the air. In 1926 making final preparations for an air show a fatal combination of a misunderstanding with her co-pilot and mechanical error led to her death.

Bessie Coleman both metaphorically and literally spent her life in the clouds. She flew above racial, sexist, economic, educational and class barriers to realise her dream. In a month dedicated to women, I cannot think of none greater than the great aviator Bessie Coleman.

http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?no=386015&rel_no=1