Soaring Beyond Boundaries: The Legacy of Bessie Coleman

Welcome to Unfit to be Bound: Black History Unchained on the NBG Podcast Network, where we explore stories of African Americans who defied the odds, challenged the status quo, and impacted history. I'm your host, Professor Freedom X. Justice, and in today's episode, we delve into the extraordinary life of Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to earn a pilot's license.

Born in 1892 in Atlanta, Texas, Bessie faced immense challenges growing up in the segregated South. Despite systemic racism, poverty, and sexism, she never lost sight of her dreams. With determination and resilience, she moved to Chicago, learned French, and eventually traveled to France to achieve her goal of becoming a pilot.

Numerous obstacles marked Bessie's journey, but her unwavering spirit led her to earn her pilot's license on June 15, 1921. She returned to the U.S. to inspire and break barriers, performing daring aerial stunts and advocating for racial equality. Although her life was tragically cut short at the age of 34, her legacy lives on through the generations of black aviators she inspired.

Join us as we celebrate Bessie Coleman's remarkable achievements and enduring legacy, reminding us that no dream is too big, and no barrier is too high when faced with courage and tenacity.

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Unfit to be Bound: Black History Unchained. If you enjoyed this story, make sure to subscribe and share with others who love learning about the unsung heroes of Black History.

For more amazing shows, head over to NBGPodcastNetwork.com!

Until next time, I'm Professor Freedom X. Justice, reminding you that no matter the odds, success is always within reach.

Episode Transcript

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Music.

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To be bound black history unchanged on
the nbg podcast network where we
explore stories of african americans who defy the odds challenged the status
quo and made a mark in history that has often been overlooked i'm your host
professor freedom x justice and today we are going to take a look at one such trailblazer,

(00:31):
someone who despite systematic racism,
poverty, and sexism, soared quite literally above it all.
I'm talking about Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to earn a pilot's license.
Let's travel back to the early 1900s when the idea of an African American woman
flying an airplane was unthinkable as it was revolutionary.

(00:54):
Bessie's journey to success was nothing short of remarkable,
and her determination, grit, and resilience made her a true embodiment of our
podcast spirit, unfit to be bound.
Bessie Coleman was born in 1892 in Atlanta, Texas, the 10th of 13 children.

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Her parents, George and Susan Coleman, were sharecroppers, part of the southern
agricultural system that kept many Black families tied to the land with few
opportunities for upward mobility.
Growing up in the segregated South, Bessie faced numerous challenges.
The school she attended was underfunded and overcrowded, with children of all

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ages learning in a single room.
It was there, however, that she
developed a love for reading and an early interest in math and science.
Life wasn't easy for Bessie. When she was just nine years old,
her father, fed up with racism of the South, left the family to head to Oklahoma
in hopes of finding better opportunity.

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Bessie's mother was left to
care for her children and Bessie was expected to help the family as well.
She did laundry, picked cotton, and worked in other menial jobs,
but never lost her sight of her desire to learn and dream of something bigger.
At the age of 18, Bessie moved to Chicago to live with her older brothers.

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Chicago was a bustling city filled with opportunities but also with its own racial barriers.
Bessie found work as a manicurist in a beauty shop and often listened to her
brother's stories about World War I.
They would talk about how French women were allowed to fly airplanes.
Something that wasn't even a consideration for women in America, let alone black women.

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But Bessie, determined as ever, saw an opportunity. She decided that she would become a pilot.
Of course, there were obstacles, big ones. No flight school in America would admit a black woman.
Undeterred, Bessie took it upon herself to learn French so she could apply for schools in France.
With encouragement and financial backing of Robert Abbott, the publisher of

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the Chicago Defender, a prominent black newspaper, Bessie saved money and made
her way to France in 1920.
It's hard to imagine the courage it took for a young black woman from Texas,
who had barely traveled outside of her state, to board a ship and sail across
the Atlantic with nothing but a dream in her heart.

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In France, Bessie faced new challenges.
Language barriers, foreign culture, and rigorous training tested her in every
way. But failure wasn't an option for her.
After seven months of grueling training, Bessie Coleman earned her pilot's license
from the FAI on June 15, 1921.

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She had done it. Bessie had become the first black woman and the first Native
American woman to earn her pilot's license.
Now, getting her license was just the beginning. Bessie knew that flying wasn't
just about personal achievement. It was about breaking barriers and inspiring others.

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She returned to the United States determined to open a flight school for African-Americans.
But in the meantime, she needed to make a living.
She turned to barnstorming, a popular form of aerial stunt flying at the time.
It was a dangerous career with pilots performing deftifying tricks and maneuvers
at air shows across the country.

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Bessie earned the nickname Queen Bess for her daring performance.
She became a sensation performing loops, figure eights, and parachute jumps
at shows in front of racially mixed crowds.
Her shows weren't just about thrills though. Bessie refused to perform at any
event that enforced segregation.
She wanted to send a message that black people deserve the same opportunities

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and respect as everyone else.
In fact, in 1922, when she was invited to perform an event in Texas,
she demanded that the audience be integrated.
And her demand was met. Bessie used her platform to fight for equality and prove
that black excellence knew no bounds.
But while she was performing for crowds, Bessie never forgot her real mission.

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She wanted to inspire other black men and women to become pilots.
She wanted to open a flight school where African Americans could learn to fly
in a country that still barred them from many opportunities.
Although her dream school didn't come to fruition during her lifetime,
Bessie's influence laid the groundwork for generations of black aviators to

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come. Sadly, Bessie's career was cut short.
On April 30, 1926, while performing an airshow in Jacksonville,
Florida, the plane she was flying malfunctioned. She wasn't wearing a seatbelt
because she had been leaning out of the cockpit, scouting the terrain for her parachute jump.
The plane flipped over and Bessie fell to her death.

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She was only 34 years old. Her death was a tragic loss, but her legacy didn't die with her.
In 1929, African-American aviators found the Bessie Coleman Aero Club in Los
Angeles, which trained many future black pilots.
Her memory has also been honored in countless ways, from schools named after

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her to Bessie Coleman's drive at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Bessie Coleman's life was a testament to what can be achieved when one is unshakable,
and their conviction and determination to rise above the barriers set before them.
She overcame the odds, not just becoming the first black woman to fly,
but by standing firm in her belief that racial and gender equality were worth

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fighting for, even in the skies.
S.C.'s story teaches us that no dream is too big, no barrier is too high,
and no obstacle is strong when you have the tenacity and courage to keep going.
She is a reminder to all of us that like her, we too can be unfit to be bound.

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Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Unfit to be Bound,
Chronicles of Black History on the MBG Podcast Network.
If you enjoyed this story, make sure to subscribe and share with others who
love learning about the unsung heroes of black history.
Until next time, I'm Professor Freedom X Justice, reminding you that no matter

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the odds, success is always within reach.
Music.