Bessie Coleman

Bessie Coleman was the first African American of either gender, and the first black woman in the world to get her pilot license in 1922, however American aviation schools denied her entry. Not letting that stop her, she taught herself French and moved to France, earning her license from France’s well-known Caudron Brother’s School of Aviation in only seven months. In the same year that she earned her license she became the first African American woman in American to make a public flight. She specialized in stunt flying and parachuting and when she moved back to America made her living by barnstorming and performing aerial tricks. Her interest in aviation was sparked by the stories she read and listened to as a kid of the World War 1 pilots. She hoped to one day open her own school to teach African Americans to fly, but was tragically killed at only 34 years old when an accident during a rehearsal for an aerial show sent her plummeting to her death. However, she still remains a pioneer to women in aviation.

Benjamin O. Davis jr. was the first African American graduate from West Point and one of two black officers in the U.S. Military in 1941. He was the commander of the 99th fighter squadron, better known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Davis had to fight the war department committees on behalf of his men to get them newer aircraft, better supplies, as well as the recognition they deserved. The Tuskegee were well decorated African American pilots that flew escort missions in the European theater during the second world war. Davis graduated 35th in his class at West Point and continued on to apply for the army air corps, which denied him based on his race. The army instead sent him to teach military tactics at the Tuskegee Institute, in Alabama. The  army would later create an African American flying unit. Davis was in charge of this air  group, and he defended his men through adversity. Other senior officers reported the group insufficient for combat, and tried to get them sent home. Davis held conferences and presented his case to the pentagon which allowed the Tuskegee men to continue fighting, sending them to Italy. Throughout the war the Airmen would gain an incredible record while under Davis’ command, with nearly double the downed aircraft compared to the amount of their own lost. After the war Davis continued with his military career flying missions in the Korean war, and eventually becoming a four star general. Davis was recognized with a Silver Star award as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross. He passed away in 2002.

Amy Johnson

Became the first woman aviator to fly solo from England to Australia. She flew this 11,000 mile long trip in 19 days and ended up damaging her plane upon landing in Australia. After this Amy became obsessed with speed and wanted to be the fastest to get to new places. With Jack Humphrey as her co-pilot, they were the first to fly 1700 miles from Britain to Moscow in a day, it only took them 21 hours. They didn’t stop there though, they kept on going and ended up at Japan setting the record for fastest trip from Britain to Japan. She didn’t stop there, Amy took another solo flight from Britain to Cape town and actually broke her husbands speed record for that trip. After she did that, Amy and her husband, Jim Mollison, started to fly together as pilot and co-pilot. In their first flight together they tried to fly from Southern Wales to New York and ended up running out of gas and crash landing at Bridgeport Municipal Airport. Luckily, no one was hurt. This minor accident didn’t stop them either, while flying together they broke another speed record from Britain to India as a part of a speed race but ended up dropping out from it due to engine failure. During a flight from Blackpool to Oxford, Amy went through some very weather and wrecked her plane into the icy waters of Thames Estuary where she lost at sea.

Kim Ford

Kim Ford is currently a First Officer for Alaska Airlines and flies the Boeing 737 and previously served in the United States Air Force flying the C-17 Globemaster and the KC-135 Stratotanker. Ford has always longed for flight from family history, pictures from the world, and the curiosity as to what’s on the other side of the jetway. Ford was accepted into the Air Force Academy in Colorado in the mid-1980s, but she was not accepted socially. Ford reflected on her lack of confidence as she entered the Academy. She was focused on the issues that were holding her back instead of focusing on her goals. Ford states that it was intimidating to get into because people would look at an African-American girl and think that she didn’t want to be a pilot. She was connected with Tuskegee airmen who taught her how to study and aircraft systems knowledge. During her time at the Air Force Academy, she participated in Soaring, T-41 Pilot Indoctrination Program (C-172) and Cadet Parachuting training. Ford hopes to give the resources for people to succeed, especially women of color. She wants them to know what steps to take in order to achieve their goals. Ford is currently a member of Sisters of the Skies, a nonprofit committed to pilot diversity.

Bessie Coleman

Bessie Coleman was an African American woman who lived in the early 1900s. She became fascinated with aviation after seeing its influence in WWI and hearing the veteran aviator’s stories after they returned from the war. However, she was denied a chance to earn her “wings” and fly due to her race and gender. She was rejected by every flight school in America, but this didn’t deter her will to fly. She had heard of French women learning to fly and decided to give that route a shot. She learned French and traveled to France to pursue her dream. She attended the Caudron Brothers School of Aviation and earned her pilots license in 1921 while flying the Nieuport Type 82 Biplane. She became the first African American to earn a pilots license and one of the first American Women to earn a pilots license. After traveling back to America, she began flying in Air Shows and became an instant star. Unfortunately, she was killed in a plane crash in 1926. However, her influence did not die with her as she was a source of inspiration for many women and African Americans that came after her to go get their pilot’s licenses and become aviators.

https://www.flyingmag.com/photo-gallery/photos/51-heroes-aviation#page-40

Janet Bragg

Janet Bragg was the first African American woman to receive a commercial pilot’s license, and is revered for her leadership in pioneering the way for other aviators of color. Bragg, born in 1907, went to Curtiss Wright Aeronautical School in 1933 as was the only woman in her class. Due to the school not being able to afford a plane Bragg saved up money working as a nurse and bought her own plane. African American pilots were not allowed to fly out airports used by whites however, so she and her class bought land and build an airfield in the African American town of Robbins. After training at the Tuskegee air school she passed her flight test for her commercial license but was denied it due to being a woman. She eventually received it at Pal-Waukee Airport, finally becoming the first black woman to do so. Bragg also starter her own business, a health care facility for patients on welfare than eventually grew to a nursing home that she ran with her husband Sumner. She also traveled throughout Africa giving tours, as well as continuing to fly well into the 1970’s. Brass died in Blue Island, Illinois, on April 11, 1993, at the age of 86.

Eugene Bullard was born on October 9, 1895, and his birthplace was Columbus, Georgia. When Eugene was a teenager he was able to stow himself away on a freighter to Europe and the reason he left was to escape racial discrimination. The shipped arrived in London and from London, he went to Paris. As years past the First World War broke out and Eugene enlisted to the French Foreign Legion. After being seriously wounded at the Battle of Verdun and then volunteered for the French Air Service. By May 5, 1917, Eugene got his pilot’s license thus making the first ever African American pilot. As his time as a pilot, he saw 20 combat mission during the First World War. Eugene saw a little combat in the Second World War with the 51 Infantry Regiment but was wounded and escaped to Spain. Later was able to go back to the United State. His death date was October 12, 1961, lived to be 66 years old.

Bessie Coleman

Bessie Coleman became the first African American to be issued a pilot’s license on June 15, 1921. Coleman was born on January 26, 1892 in an age where her race and her gender played against her. She wasn’t allowed to go to flying school in the US, so she herself French and moved. In France, she got her license while specializing in stunt flying. She was able to get jobs performing tricks and barnstorming. In 1922, she became the first African-American female to fly in public. Her goal was to start a flying school for African-Americans in the US. In 1926, at just age 34, Coleman was involved in a fatal accident when the controls of her airplane jammed and threw her from the cockpit.

The image I’d like to examine is one of an American Airlines passenger who’s bag was unlawfully searched. Overall, the players, crowd and subject of the matter is anyone and everyone who lives in the United States. This incident could be directly reflected to the potential passengers for future American Airlines flights. The subject more clearly is that of racial issues. Unfortunately, this subject is more discrimination that anything else, but anyone could be subjected to such mistreatments. From this stand point, the context setter is the person who posted the image but again, anyone could be effected by his treatment.

The company too may face some back lash, as its employees and stock holders could see this icident harm the general view of the public.

Overall, an incident such as this, is unacceptable in every level of the stake holder analysis. For the individual, it won’t be easy to bounce back and the company as a whole will need some damage maintenance done to keep potentially traveling citizens from booking with another company.

I don’t have the link anymore but I’ve attached the image here.

Thanks for reading,

AK