When Did Bessie Coleman Learn To Fly? Bessie Coleman, a trailblazing African American woman, learned to fly in France, earning her international pilot’s license in 1921, as racial discrimination prevented her from doing so in the United States. Flyermedia.net celebrates her legacy and dedication to aviation, a testament to her unwavering spirit and determination to break barriers in the world of flight, inspiring countless others to pursue their dreams in aviation. Explore flyermedia.net for more stories of aviation pioneers and resources for aspiring pilots.
Table of Contents
- Early Life in Waxahachie, Texas
- The Great Migration to Chicago
- On to France
- Flying Across the U.S.
- Triumph in Texas
- Promoting Her Craft
- Untimely Death and Legacy
- Primary Source Analysis Strategies
- FAQ
- Reach for the Sky with flyermedia.net
1. Early Life in Waxahachie, Texas
Bessie Coleman was born on January 26, 1892, in a one-room cabin in Waxahachie, Texas. She was one of thirteen children born to her mother, Susan, and father, George. It is important to note that her birth wasn’t officially recorded on a birth certificate or in any family record. Bessie’s parents, who were both born in Texas, were unable to read or write. It’s also uncertain whether Bessie’s parents were enslaved before the Civil War. Susan’s family had originally migrated to Texas from Georgia before her birth. George’s family had significant Native American roots. Three of his grandparents were Native – most likely Choctaw or Cherokee. His father was from Indian Territory and his mother from Missouri (Rich 3).
Born during the Jim Crow era, Bessie Coleman experienced a time of widespread racial discrimination and segregation. This period, lasting from 1877 to 1965, saw the implementation of racist laws and practices that disenfranchised African Americans, especially in the Southern states.
Amidst the challenges of Jim Crow segregation, George Coleman bought a small plot of land in Waxahachie, Texas, about thirty miles south of Dallas. Bessie Coleman’s early childhood was a happy one. She attended church on Sundays and spent time playing on the front lawn edged by red and yellow roses. She began school in 1898. Two years earlier, the US Supreme Court had established the legality of the “separate but equal” doctrine in schools with the Plessy v Ferguson decision. She went to a racially segregated school in a one-room wooden building with one teacher for students in grades one through eight. Coleman walked four miles to school where she was taught reading, writing and arithmetic, often without textbooks or enough paper and pencils. She quickly became the star student in math due to her intelligence, eagerness to learn, and uninhibited nature (Rich 7).
Bessie Coleman in Waxahachie Texas
In 1901, Coleman’s life changed when her father left the family. His decision may have been influenced by the hundreds of lynchings in the South and violence specifically in Texas. George was of both Black and Native ancestry. Hatred and violence towards Natives were also part of Texas history. In Oklahoma, George’s Native ancestry could offer him an escape from the violence created by his double bind in Texas. In Indian Territory, he could enjoy the full rights of a citizen.
At the age of 45, Susan Coleman became a single mother at a time when most Black households were expected to be led by men. She became a cook and housekeeper for a white couple. Susan ensured the education of her children through a traveling library where Bessie Coleman learned about important people and accomplishments in Black history such as Harriet Tubman (Rich 9). Among those Coleman read to her sisters at bedtime was “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Written by an abolitionist, it was popular among progressive whites, but less so among Blacks because it depicted docile enslaved Black people. “I’ll never be a Topsy or an Uncle Tom,” Bessie said after closing the cover. Years later, Bessie announced her ambition “to make Uncle Tom’s cabin into a hangar for a flying school.” (Grossman)
Bessie’s school schedule was always upset by the cotton harvest. The school shut down as soon as cotton picking began because cotton drove many decisions. Bessie worked in the fields. After completing school, she worked as a laundress, collecting, washing, and delivering laundry. All the while, she dreamed of escaping Waxahachie for better opportunities.
She briefly attended Langston Industrial College in Oklahoma, but could only afford one semester, so she dropped out and moved to Chicago. By 1919, she was living with two brothers who had also moved to Chicago. Both of her brothers had served in the military in France as members of the 370th Regiment of the Illinois National Guard.
2. The Great Migration to Chicago
When Coleman moved to Chicago, she started searching for employment. Most African American women who worked outside the home were domestic workers, though some became schoolteachers. Factories started employing Black women during the first World War. Coleman decided to become a beautician with limited opportunities, and enrolled in the Burnham School of Beauty Culture to become a manicurist.
She soon became one of the most popular manicurists in Black Chicago. She sat at a window table where her mostly male customers could be seen being groomed by “a beautiful woman” (Rich, 20). While in Chicago, she also became an avid reader of the African American-led Chicago Defendernewspaper.
Chicago Defender Newspaper
After five years in Chicago, Bessie learned a trade, married, found her own place to live, had seen her brothers go to war, and survived a race riot. Although Coleman and her family survived the riot, it left 38 people dead, 537 injured and left over 1,000 people homeless. Even in the North, Coleman found her life at risk and opportunities limited because of her race and gender. At the age of 27, after her brother John described women flying airplanes in France while he was there during the war, she decided the air would be the arena for her ambitions (Rich 27). She applied to almost every American flying school but was rejected because of her race and gender. The doors to the open skies of America were closed to Coleman, but France appeared to be a different story.
Colman sought the advice of Robert S. Abbott, the editor and publisher of the Chicago Weekly Defender. On his advice, Coleman learned French, took a better paying job and began applying to French aviation schools.
3. On to France
On November 9, 1920, Coleman got an American passport and visited the French consulate for a tourist visa lasting a year. She then sailed for France from New York City on November 20th. Once she arrived, she chose France’s most famous flight school, the École d’Aviation des Frères Caudron at Le Crotoy in the Somme, where she finished a ten-month course “including tail spins, banking, and looping the loop” (Rich 32). Back then, airplanes were fragile, and flying was dangerous. During her training, she experienced the dangers of her new career when a student pilot died in an accident. She took the qualifying test for a license from the renowned Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) seven months into her training, and two weeks after the Tulsa Race Riot. At the time, it was the only organization whose recognition allowed someone to fly anywhere in the world. She was the first American of any race or gender to be directly awarded these credentials.
General view of a group of flight students at the École d’Aviation des Frères Caudron at Le Crotoy, France, standing beside a Caudron Type G3. Bessie Coleman is shown sitting on the rear elevator. “NASM-94-13746.” National Air and Space Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution. https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/si-94-13746jpg.
4. Flying Across the U.S.
Coleman got back to New York in September 1921. Reporters from several national African American newspapers greeted her. The cast of the Broadway hit, Shuffle Along gave her a silver loving cup in honor of her achievement. The musical helped Josephine Baker and Paul Robeson launch their careers. The cup was a gesture of respect and admiration, but also of compassion and recognition of the challenges she and other African Americans faced.
As a stunt pilot, Coleman traveled the country and performed in air shows. To raise funds, she gave speeches and showed movies of her air shows in theaters and schools. Audiences were captivated by her performances of “loop the loops” and figure 8’s in the sky. She toured Europe and the US, performing shows and teaching lessons while encouraging African Americans to learn aviation. Coleman’s biggest dream was to own a plane and start a flight school for African Americans.
In 1922, Coleman returned to Chicago as the triumphant “Queen Bess, Daredevil Aviatrix”. Over 2,000 people from diverse backgrounds attended her Chicago debut.
Coleman even signed a contract to star in a full-length feature film but she quit and left the movie set because the film portrayed African Americans in a racist and derogatory way while wearing ragged clothing. Colman stated, “No Uncle Tom stuff for me”. She refused to reinforce white stereotypes to further reduce the self-esteem of her own people by acting out on screen the role of an ignorant Southern Black woman (Rich 60). As a role model for promoting Black equality, she gained support from the Black press.
Coleman was left without a contract, a sponsor, or a plane when she walked off the New York movie set. She continued to travel to collect money for an airplane and bought a Jenny – JN -4 with an OX-5 engine. She organized an airshow in California to celebrate the opening of a new fairground. But shortly after taking off from Santa Monica for the Los Angeles fairgrounds, her motor stalled at 300 feet. Her newly bought plane crashed, nosediving into the ground. Although she survived the crash, she suffered severe injuries, including a broken leg, cracked ribs, and cuts on her face.
Though battered and bandaged, Coleman refused to feel defeated. From her hospital bed, she sent the following telegram to her friends: “TELL THEM ALL THAT AS SOON AS I CAN WALK I’M GOING TO FLY! AND MY FAITH IN AVIATION AND THE USEFUL OF IT WILL SERVE IN FULFILLING THE DESTINY OF MY PEOPLE ISN’T SHAKEN AT ALL.” (Rich 70)
Bessie Coleman, the first African American licensed pilot, shown here on the wheel of a Curtiss JN-4 “Jennie” in her custom designed flying suit (circa 1924). “NASM 92-13721.” Smithsonian Institution. https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/web11673-2010hjpg .
5. Triumph in Texas
Coleman recovered from her injuries and, after returning to Chicago, planned a series of lectures and exhibition flights in Texas. On June 19th, she borrowed a plane and made her first flight since the accident in Houston, Texas. This was on Juneteenth, which commemorates the day enslaved African Americans in Texas were freed. The Coleman showed her audience dives with barrel rolls, figure eights and loop the loops. She also showed the courage and determination that anyone can aspire to. As a result of the show’s success, there were even more appearances and lectures.
Coleman even performed a jump at one performance in Wharton, Texas. The original parachute jumper had gotten sick. To make sure the show went on, Coleman contacted another pilot and attached a parachute to her harness. She climbed out of the cockpit at 3,000 feet, walked on the wing’s catwalk to the edge, jumped, and landed in the center of the crowd to thunderous applause.
At another show in her hometown of Waxahachie, Coleman stood up for civil rights. The show was to be performed before a mixed though segregated audience. African American people were to sit in one area while white people sat in another, with separate admission gates for each race. “But Bessie drew the line at the two gates. There would be one entrance only, she said, or she would not perform. The organizers finally agreed as long as the audience was segregated after they came in … Bessie had to give in. She needed the money from the show and the passenger rides that would follow so she could purchase a new airplane” (Rich 95).
6. Promoting Her Craft
Coleman moved back home to Chicago for three months after her success in Texas. She tried to promote her own film, arrange lectures, and shows. She contacted film studios to try to get her flight reels shown in movie theaters.
The following letter has been transcribed from Rich, Doris L. 1993. Queen Bess: Daredevil Aviator. Smithsonian Institution Press.
Tampa, Florida.
Feb. 3 1926
Norman Studios
Arlington, Florida
Dear Sirs: –
Mr. Trumbull, owner of the Liberty Theater in St. Petersburg, gave me your address after I appeared there in person and on the screen with 2 reels showing my flights in Europe and America. I have my life work that I want put into pictures. I know I have been a success in every house I have played in Chicago and other cities. And with only 2 reel as an added attraction, I have titled my play Yesterday – Today & Tomorrow.
I am sure that a few remarks from Mr. Trumbull will give you the correct idea of what I will mean to you. As any intelligent person knows, I am the world’s first Co Flyer. Man or woman. We have one man now a pilot 9 months in Tulsa. If you are interested, I will be willing to go farther into the matter with you. I am, and know it, the Most Known Colored person (woman alive) (other than the Jazz singers)
Write me what you would like to do about this matter.
Bessie Coleman
℅ 1313 Marion Street
Tampa, Fla.
Although the film was never made, she gave lectures throughout Georgia and Florida and eventually moved to Florida. Coleman was scheduled to do a parachute jump at the annual flower show in Orlando, but she threatened to pull out when she found out that the show would only be for white people. Once again, Coleman bravely stood up against white supremacy.
This was a dangerous position to take because racial segregation was heavily enforced in Florida at the time. For instance, African Americans in Daytona Beach had to carry a special pass to be out after dark. White supremacists in Tampa scared and threatened Black property owners into selling and leaving the city. The Chamber of Commerce allowed African Americans to attend the show because Coleman threatened to withdraw from the show. Coleman also opened a beauty parlor in Orlando to help pay for a new plane, a used Jenny two-seater.
7. Untimely Death and Legacy
In April 1926, Bessie Coleman was preparing for a show at Jacksonville’s Field Day on May 1st. On April 28th, William D. Wills, a 24-year-old white mechanic, flew Coleman’s new plane from Dallas to Jacksonville. Coleman and Wills took a test flight on April 30th. Wills was in the front cockpit taking over the controls, while Coleman sat in the back to study the field for good jump sites. She couldn’t fasten her seat belt because looking down on the field required her to peer over the edge of the back seat cockpit, and Bessie was too short to do so while fully seated (Rich 110). Around 3,000 feet in the air, a loose wrench got stuck in the aircraft’s engine and the plane flipped over. Coleman fell out of the plane and died. Wills was still on board when the aircraft crashed, which killed him too.
Friends and fans all over the country were saddened and shocked by Bessie Coleman’s death. Thousands of people attended her funeral in Chicago, with twenty-two pallbearers. Among them were Congressman Oscar DePriest and attorney Earl B. Dickerson, who had won a major case before the US Supreme Court about racial housing segregation. Ida B. Wells-Barnett, a passionate author and speaker for equal rights, was mistress of ceremonies for the funeral. Viola Hill gave a eulogy, proudly speaking of Bessie’s refusal to perform any place where African Americans were not permitted (Rich 114).
Baptist pastor Junius C. Austin delivered the funeral oration. He said of Bessie, “This girl was one hundred years ahead of the Race she loved so well, and by whom she was least appreciated.” An African American newspaper in Dallas mentioned after her death that “there is reason to believe that the general public did not completely sense the size of her contribution to the achievements of the race as such.” Another paper reminded its readers, “Whether they take to it or not, Miss Coleman has taught our women that they can navigate the air, and like all pioneers, she has built her own monument.” (Rich 119)
Although she died at the age of 34, her legacy continues to inspire. In 1931, the Challenger Pilots Association, a group of pioneering Black aviators, flew over Lincoln Cemetery at Kedzie Avenue and 123rd Street and dropped flowers on Bessie’s grave. The members regularly repeated the gesture until they were too old to fly. Every year, bright-colored blooms floated in the air where, like Bessie said, there is no prejudice (Grossman). Later in 1995, the “Bessie Coleman Stamp” was made to commemorate all of her accomplishments. In 2023, the US Mint released a Bessie Coleman quarter as part of the American Women Quarters Program.
Mae Jemison, who in 1992 became the first African American woman to go into space, wrote that she “wished I had known her while I was growing up, but then again I think she was there with me all the time.” In one way Coleman was indeed with her when she left Earth. Jemison carried a picture of Coleman with her into space, flying far higher than Coleman ever dreamed. Coleman’s intelligence, strength and determination continues to inspire younger generations of African American women. (Slotnik)
Bessie Coleman in Waxahachie Texas
8. Primary Source Analysis Strategies
Bessie Coleman in France (Photograph)
Caption: General view of a group of flight students at the École d’Aviation des Frères Caudron at Le Crotoy, France, standing beside a Caudron Type G3. Bessie Coleman is shown sitting on the rear elevator.
Educator Notes:
Educators can build on the thinking routine See Think Wonderto build inquiry using this photograph. Use the questions below to prompt further exploration.
Analysis Questions:
- Take a close look at this image. What do you notice about the people in the image?
- What do you think Bessie Coleman’s experience was like while at the flight school?
Bessie Coleman with Airplane
Caption: Bessie Coleman, the first African American licensed pilot, shown here on the wheel of a Curtiss JN-4 “Jennie” in her custom designed flying suit (circa 1924).
Educator Notes:
Educators can use the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Teacher Guide: Analyzing Photographs to build inquiry about this photograph.
Bessie Coleman’s Letter to Norman Studios
Tampa, Florida.
Feb. 3 1926
Norman Studios
Arlington, Florida
Dear Sirs: –
Mr. Trumbull, owner of the Liberty Theater in St. Petersburg, gave me your address after I appeared there in person and on the screen with 2 reels showing my flights in Europe and America. I have my life work that I want put into pictures I know I have been a success in every house I have played in Chicago and other cities. And with only 2 reel as an added attraction I have titled my play Yesterday – Today & Tomorrow.
I am sure that a few remarks from Mr. Trumbull will give you the correct idea of what I will mean to you. As any intelligent person knows I am the world’s first Co Flyer. Man or woman. We have one man now a pilot 9 months in Tulsa if you are interested I will be willing to go farther into the matter with you. I am, and know it, the Most Known Colored person (woman alive) (other than the Jazz singers)
Write me what you would like to do about this matter.
Bessie Coleman
℅ 1313 Marion Street
Tampa, Fla.
Credit: Rich, Doris L. 1993. Queen Bess: Daredevil Aviator. Smithsonian Institution Press.
Educator Notes:
Educators can use the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Teacher Guide: Analyzing Primary Sources to build inquiry around this letter. Learners can further explore using the detailed questions below.
Analysis Questions:
- How would you describe Coleman’s ambition after reading this letter?
- Research the historical context of Tampa in the 1920s. Why would this be a good location for Coleman to work and try to publicize her film?
- Why do you think Coleman chose the name of her play “Yesterday – Today and Tomorrow” after reading her biography. How could this title apply to US history at large?
- Bessie Coleman was determined to share her story with the world. What are some stories that you want to share with others? How can you use your voice to make a difference?
Bessie Coleman Postage Stamp
Caption: The Bessie Coleman stamp was issued on April 27, 1995.
Educator Notes:
Educators can use the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Teacher Guide: Analyzing Primary Sources to build inquiry around this letter. Learners can further explore using the detailed questions below.
Analysis Questions:
- The Bessie Coleman stamp was issued on April 27th, 1995. After learning more about African American history during that the time period, why do you believe that stamp was issued in 1995?
- Based on your reading of Coleman’s biography, why was she chosen as the face of this commemorative stamp?
Video: American Masters: Aviator Bessie Coleman
*Educator Notes**:*
Educators can help students explore the differences between primary and secondary sources, like this video, using the Library of Congress Primary Secondary Source Sort activity adapted for learner use. Learners can think more on the video using the questions below.
Analysis Questions:
- What was the “Great Migration” and how did it impact Bessie Coleman’s life?
- How did Bessie Coleman’s experience in France differ from her experience in the United States? What does this tell us about the importance of cultural context in shaping opportunities?
- Explain the many obstacles that Bessie Coleman faced. How did she overcome these obstacles?
- How did Bessie Coleman use her fame as a pilot to fight racism?
- Bessie Coleman was an activist who used her fame to fight against racism. What are some ways you can use your voice and actions to make a positive impact on the world?
9. FAQ
- When did Bessie Coleman first develop an interest in aviation?
- Bessie Coleman’s interest in aviation sparked after hearing stories from her brother John, who served in France during World War I and told her about French women flying airplanes.
- Why did Bessie Coleman have to go to France to learn to fly?
- Bessie Coleman had to go to France to learn to fly because American flight schools denied her admission due to her race and gender.
- What challenges did Bessie Coleman face as a Black woman in aviation?
- Bessie Coleman faced significant challenges, including racial discrimination, gender bias, and lack of financial resources, but she overcame these obstacles with determination and perseverance.
- What type of pilot’s license did Bessie Coleman obtain in France?
- Bessie Coleman obtained an international pilot’s license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) in France, which allowed her to fly anywhere in the world.
- How did Bessie Coleman use her skills as a pilot to inspire others?
- Bessie Coleman used her skills to perform in air shows, give speeches, and raise money to start a school for African American aviators, inspiring countless individuals to pursue their dreams in aviation.
- What were Bessie Coleman’s career achievements?
- Bessie Coleman’s career achievements include becoming the first African American woman to earn an international pilot’s license, performing as a stunt pilot in air shows across the United States and Europe, and advocating for equal opportunities in aviation.
- How did the Chicago Defender support Bessie Coleman’s aviation career?
- The Chicago Defender, an African American newspaper, supported Bessie Coleman by promoting her achievements, publishing articles about her, and helping her gain recognition and financial support.
- What were Bessie Coleman’s contributions to aviation?
- Bessie Coleman’s contributions to aviation include breaking racial and gender barriers, inspiring future generations of aviators, and promoting aviation as a viable career path for African Americans.
- What is Bessie Coleman’s legacy in aviation history?
- Bessie Coleman’s legacy is that of a courageous and determined pioneer who defied societal norms and paved the way for African Americans and women in aviation.
- What impact did Bessie Coleman have on women in aviation?
- Bessie Coleman inspired countless women to pursue careers in aviation, demonstrating that gender was not a barrier to achieving their dreams and making significant contributions to the field.
10. Reach for the Sky with flyermedia.net
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