"KEEP TRYING, FLY HIGH"

Bessie Coleman once told her mother that she was going to “amount to something.”  In her short, but remarkable lifetime she did more than that; she inspired countless others around the world to follow their dreams and not let anything hold them back.

 

Bessie became the first African American to earn a pilot’s license. As one of thirteen children born to sharecropper parents in Atlanta, Texas, Bessie loved to read and dream of a better life.  Her two brothers who had fought in World War I and returned home safely told her about French women who could fly planes.  Bessie listened intently to those stories and was determined that she would one day fly a plane.

A Chicago newspaper editor, Robert Abbott told her that she could learn to fly in France; she just needed to save her money and learn French.  He offered to help her find a flying school when she did.

Bessie moved to Chicago in 1915 at the age of 23.  Initially she worked as a manicurist in a barber shop.  From there she went to work in a restaurant and took French lessons from a Berlitz school in Chicago.  She was able to get some financial help from a banker, but not able to attend an American flying school because of discrimination against blacks and women. That was not about to stop Bessie, however.  Her passion for learning to fly was resolute.

Within seven months Bessie earned her international flying license in France, despite knowing no one when she arrived.  Her obstacles often seemed insurmountable to others, but to Bessie they were just challenging steps along the way.  She performed at numerous air shows in the U.S, including one on Long Island in 1922.  She did stunt flying and daredevil maneuvers to earn money and formulate her dream to open a flying school for African Americans.  She also spoke to audiences around the country and was admired by blacks and whites everywhere. Some called her QUEEN BESSIE.

One area where Bessie drew the line, however, was in refusing to perform in air shows where African Americans were not allowed to purchase tickets.  Her message to blacks was “You can do something too.  Keep trying.  Fly high!”

Eventually Bessie was able to buy her own plane, but it crashed in California; she wound up in a hospital for three months.  The planes she could afford were not in good shape, but she wasn’t afraid of taking risks; she had done it all her life.

Bessie was about to realize her dream of opening a flying school, but in 1926, the day before the air show in Jacksonville, Florida, her plane crashed during an aerial show rehearsal with her mechanic friend and the two of them were killed.  Her funeral was held in Chicago, where 5,000 people attended.  She had encouraged so many others to follow their dreams and never give up. She had dared to follow her passion for flying and today is considered a pioneer in women’s aviation.  In 1995 a commemorative stamp was issued in her honor, and I’m proud to say that my eleven year old granddaughter told me about learning of Bessie’s achievements this year. Today a Chicago public library is even named after her.

Bessie Coleman died in 1926 at the age of 33, but her legacy will live on and continue to inspire people worldwide.