The first time I heard of Bessie Coleman I was around 13 years old and I was looking at a US postal stamp. The young black woman wearing a pilot cap and aviator glasses intrigued me. At the time, I remembered learning about Amelia Earhart in elementary school, but who was Bessie Coleman or as some people called her “Brave Bessie”? I then, started an intellectual journey to find out.
Born in Texas around 1893, she was the 10th child of 13. Bessie’s mother saw that her daughter was gifted in math and sent her to school. Bessie even went on to college, which was uncommon for a young black female during this time. Unfortunately she did not have enough money to finish and started working as a laundress and then as a manicurist. After listening to one of her brothers, a World War I veteran, she heard about women in France who were pilots and made up in her mind that she also wanted to be a pilot. A spark ignited within her and she learned French and enrolled in Ecole d’Aviation des Freres Caudon at Le Crotoy in France. In 1921 she received her pilots license from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. She was the first licensed black pilot in the US. During her life she was considered one of “the world’s greatest woman flyer.” In 1926, she died in a plane crash and it wasn’t until 2000 that she was inducted int he Texas Aviation Hall of Fame. (source)
Children’s Books about Bessie Coleman:
- Fly High! The Story Of Bessie Coleman
- Nobody Owns the Sky: The Story of “Brave Bessie” Coleman
- Bessie Coleman: Daring to Fly
Additional Resources
- 101 Fast Facts (Fact #73 Bessie Coleman)
- PBS: Bessie Coleman
- BessieColeman.com
- Bessie Coleman – Aviator
-
Wordless Wednesday Linky: #BlogHer12 w/ @ChuckECheese & @MilkMustache
Today’s Wordless Wednesday photo comes from BlogHer’ 12, which was a lot of fun. If you have not attended BlogHer before ... -
Wordful Wednesday: Who Was Bessie Coleman?
The first time I heard of Bessie Coleman I was around 13 years old and I was looking at a US ...
-
Cognitive-behavioral therapy: An introduction
When it comes to mental health, a wide variety of treatment options are available. One of the most popular and well-researched ... -
Essential Wedding Planning Tips For Brides-To-Be With Kids
being a mom and a bride-to-be with kids is far from unusual - and while it can certainly throw up some unique challenges. -
Understanding Co-Occurring Disorders
Co-occurring disorders, also known as dual diagnosis, occur when a person has both a mental disorder and an addiction. While it ...
-
Black Love in The Photograph Movie is Beautiful
Black Love in The Photograph Movie is Beautiful and seeing it is like poetry in action. Zora Neale Hurston an American ... -
Maryland Gospel Choirs Compete Before Celebrity Judges
Has it been a while since you saw gospel choirs perform? Well, that is changing. According to Detrick Haddon, “Choirs are ... -
3 African American Women Who Inspire #InternationalWomensDay
If you want to see me smile, ask me about women who inspire me. I’ll beam with delight and tell you ...