1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: I'm to Blaine Chuck Reboarding and I'm Fair Dowdie. And 4 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: as Black History Month is drawing to a close and 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: Women's History Month is right around the corner, we thought 6 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: it would be nice to do an episode that kind 7 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: of bridges the gap between the two a little bit. 8 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: And it's also a great excuse to return to a 9 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 1: subject we really love but haven't touched on since last 10 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 1: spring's Mystery of st X episode, and that's Aviation. Of course, 11 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:41,880 Speaker 1: this episode won't include many mysterious disappearances or Little Prince 12 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: impersonation Bin a Little Prince. It's one of my favorite 13 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: podcast moment. But that doesn't mean that the life of 14 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: this subject, Bessie Coleman, is any less fascinating, not at all. 15 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: Coleman was the first African American woman in the world 16 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: to earn a pilot license, and she was also the 17 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: first life African American pilot of either sex. According to 18 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: Flight Journal. She was a contemporary of Amelia Earhart and 19 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,479 Speaker 1: in fact earned her pilot flights since a year before 20 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: Earhart did. Of course, she managed to do this in 21 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: the early nineteen twenties, during a time when most Americans, 22 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: even those in the black community, still felt that a 23 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: woman's place was in the home, not in the workplace, 24 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: and certainly not flying around in the sky. What's more, 25 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,759 Speaker 1: segregation was still a big factor, and there weren't any 26 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: white flight instructors who were willing to take on Coleman 27 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: as a student. So we're going to be taking a 28 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: look at how Coleman overcame these obstacles to pursue her dream. 29 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: After all, if there weren't white flight instructors who were 30 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: willing to take her on, how did she learn to 31 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: fly because there weren't black flight in So, yeah, that's 32 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: going to be one of the mysteries we unveil, and 33 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: then we're going to take a look to it why 34 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: she wanted to learn to fly in the first place, 35 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: and how after becoming a pilot she used her position 36 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: to fight for equality for others of her race. But 37 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: to truly understand what Coleman was up against in pursuing 38 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: her dream of flying, you really have to go all 39 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: the way back to her childhood. She was born Elizabeth 40 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: Coleman on January eighteen, nine, two in Atlanta, Texas, and 41 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: she was one of thirteen children in a family of 42 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: poor sharecroppers. Her mother, Susan Coleman, was black, and her father, 43 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: George Coleman, was of mixed race, part of African American 44 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: and part Cherokee. Neither of Bessie's parents could read or write, 45 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: so in eighteen ninety four, George Coleman moved his family 46 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: to walk the Hatchie, Texas and bought a small plot 47 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: of land there to build a three room house. So 48 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: in their new town, the Coleman's earned a living by 49 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: picking cotton, and all the kids pitched in to to 50 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: help raise money for the family, but they also went 51 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: to school because their parents wanted a better life for them. 52 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: Of course, schools were segregated at the time, so Bessie 53 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: had to walk four miles every day to her school, 54 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 1: which was basically just a single room that handled all 55 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: eight grades that were offered. But despite those circumstances, that 56 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: long trip to school and the combined nature of the classroom, 57 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: Bessie's academic abilities really became clear even at a young age. 58 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: She was especially good at math, and she even used 59 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: her skills to make sure the foreman of the fields 60 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: her family worked and didn't cheat them when it was 61 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: time for them to get paid. But when Bessie was 62 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,359 Speaker 1: somewhere in the age range of six to nine years old, 63 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: were seemed to differ on the exact timing of that 64 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 1: Her father left them. He felt that discrimination really limited 65 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: his opportunities for advancement in Texas, and so he wanted 66 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,119 Speaker 1: to move to Indian Territory, where as we've talked about 67 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: on some previous podcasts, his native American ancestry would have 68 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: made him more of an equal citizen. But Susan Coleman 69 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: didn't want that life. She didn't want to be a 70 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: tough pioneer family, so she stayed behind with the kids 71 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: and supported the family on her own by working as 72 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: a cook and a housekeeper for a white family, which 73 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: was also tough, of course, I mean as you would 74 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: expect it to be. But meanwhile Bessie had to take 75 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: on the housekeeping duties with her mother away, working this 76 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: the day in her own halfhold, and take care of 77 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: her younger sisters while her mother was away, and often 78 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: she had a myth school to to do. All this, 79 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: which must have been hard for aspect of bright student. 80 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: She still had really big dreams, though, and Bessie's mother 81 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,600 Speaker 1: encouraged that. According to an article in Flight Journal by 82 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 1: Dennis Morausei, Bessie's mom was known to say, if you 83 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: stay a mule, you'll never win the race. And she 84 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: used to have her kids copy the manners of the 85 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 1: white filmily that she worked for, and she talked to 86 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: them about the great achievements of African Americans, like a 87 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 1: book or T. Washington and Harriett Tabman. And it must 88 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: have made an impression because when Bessie completed all eight 89 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: grades in her one room schoolhouse, and that was all 90 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:49,720 Speaker 1: that they offered, because they just expected, okay, exactly, we're 91 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: going to go work in the fields. Now. She graduated 92 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: in and at that point she knew that she wanted 93 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: more after that, she wanted to become something else. So 94 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: she had saved up some money by working as a 95 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: laundress this whole time, and and that year at the 96 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,679 Speaker 1: age of eighteen, and she used the savings to enroll 97 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: in the Colored Agricultural and Normal University in Lankston, Oklahoma 98 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: it's now Lankston University. But she only had enough money 99 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,719 Speaker 1: to attend for one term, so as soon as that 100 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: was up, she had to go back home start doing 101 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: laundry and cleaning again to save up some more money. 102 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: So at that point it seemed like she wasn't quite 103 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: sure what her next move was going to be. I mean, 104 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: obviously that's a difficult scenario to maintain working saving money 105 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 1: than going for a for a term. It all changed though, 106 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: when her older brother Walter invited her to come and 107 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: live with him in Chicago, and she still had to 108 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 1: save up for a couple of years to make that 109 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:48,359 Speaker 1: move possible. But at the age of twenty three, Bessie 110 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: headed up north. In Chicago was just a different world. 111 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: They had an entire area of the city, the South Side, 112 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: which was settled by mostly blacks, and there were just 113 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: more job opportunities in a war back in walksa Hatchie, 114 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 1: so Bessie enrolled in a beauty school and she ended 115 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 1: up becoming a manicurist at the White Sox Barbershop. A 116 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: few years after she moved up to Chicago, her mom 117 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 1: and sisters moved up there too, while her brother's Walter 118 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: and John, went off to France to fight in World 119 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: War One. By this time, African Americans were allowed to 120 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:20,840 Speaker 1: serve in the military in segregated unit kind of an 121 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 1: update from our mass to fifty fourth episode. So nobody 122 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: seems to know exactly when Betsy became interested in flying. 123 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,159 Speaker 1: It might have been as far back as walksa Hatchie, 124 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 1: and airplanes were, of course invented in nineteen o two 125 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: probably made a pretty big impression on most children around then. 126 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: But it might have also had something to do with 127 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 1: the use of airplane technology in World War One and 128 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: the advancements that were being made in their technology there 129 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: used at the time, and probably she had an interest 130 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,040 Speaker 1: in World War One with her brother's away fighting, it 131 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: definitely seemed like airplanes were the wave of the future, 132 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: and she took an inch or at some point or another. 133 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 1: But regardless of how she got interested, by the end 134 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:07,919 Speaker 1: of the war, flying had become Bessie's goal. Most sources 135 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: actually relate a story about how her older brother John, 136 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: who had just come home from the war, visited her 137 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: in the barbershop one day and kind of started taunting her, 138 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: sort of bragging about the women he had met in France, 139 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: saying that they were so beautiful and intelligent and some 140 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: of them could even fly planes, and he regaled her 141 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: with these stories of female pilots. Bessie supposedly responded, that's it. 142 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: You just called it for me. So that could have 143 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: been the moment when she knew for sure she wanted 144 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: to be a pilot, or maybe she just knew that 145 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: France was an option for her. They're probably not the 146 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 1: reaction her brother was expecting from his teasing, but either way, 147 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: it was probably right around that time that she started 148 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: to apply to American flight schools, except that she kept 149 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: on getting rejected from them. Some of the schools would 150 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: tell her they thought women shouldn't be flying at all 151 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 1: because it was too risky. But race very well might 152 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: have had something to you with it too. There were 153 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: no black flight instructors, there were no black flight schools 154 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 1: at the time. But Bessie did not quit. She did 155 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: not give up on this on this dream. She had 156 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: told one of her barbershop patrons, Robert Abbott, about her 157 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: dream to fly and the problem she was having making 158 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: it a reality. And Abbott was a pretty good guy 159 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: to to tell your problems too. He was pretty influential. 160 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: He was the editor of a black weekly newspaper called 161 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 1: The Chicago Defender. I think that's popped up in in 162 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: several episodes we've covered, but one of his biggest goals 163 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 1: was to quote uplift the race, and according to Jacqueline 164 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: McLean's profile of Bessie and Women with Wings, Abbott wanted 165 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: to help her achieve her goals because he thought it 166 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: would help prove what African Americans could accomplish. I mean, 167 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 1: if you're interested in uplifting the race, what better way 168 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: than to sponsor a pilot who can literally fly up 169 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: in a way because people can't say you can't do 170 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: something if you actually show it, and it's just a 171 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: powerful it's a powerful metaphor to two for what he 172 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:04,439 Speaker 1: was trying to do, flying yes, taking flight. So when 173 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,439 Speaker 1: Bessie passed on to Abbot what her brother had told 174 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: her about France, he of course encouraged her to pursue 175 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 1: flight school there. He was basically like, well, if no 176 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: one in America will take you, you gotta go somewhere else. 177 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 1: So at about age twenty eight, Bessie used for savings 178 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: to start taking French classes so she could learn the language. 179 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: She also applied for a passport and picked up an 180 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:28,200 Speaker 1: extra job at a restaurant just to save up some 181 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: more money for school, and after applying to a few 182 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: French flight school she was finally accepted to the Kadron 183 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: Brothers School of Aviation in France. So Abbott did prove 184 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 1: to be a benefactor. True to his word. He helped 185 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: Bessie secure funds for school so she could cover tuition, 186 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 1: and in late nineteen twenties she headed off to France 187 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,959 Speaker 1: to start a ten month flight course. So for about 188 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: the first seven months of her training Bessie simply took lesson. 189 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: She learned to fly in a French Newport Type eight 190 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:03,440 Speaker 1: two by plane and according to the McLean's profile we mentioned, 191 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 1: during the lessons, a teacher would just sit in the 192 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 1: front seat working all the controls, and a student pilot 193 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,079 Speaker 1: like Bessie would have to sit in the back seat 194 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 1: and you couldn't necessarily see the instructor from there or 195 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 1: even here the instructor because of course the engine was roaring, 196 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 1: So students just learned to fly by feeling the movements 197 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: of the controls, mimicking the instructor's motions, just really kind 198 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: of picking it up along the way. Then on June fifteenth, 199 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,319 Speaker 1: at age twenty nine, Bessie earned her license from the 200 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: Federalition Aeronautique Internacial. As we mentioned earlier, she was the 201 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 1: first black woman in the world to earn a pilot's license, 202 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: and the f AI license in particular was so highly 203 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 1: regarded it was accepted by every country in the world. 204 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: So this was the license that you wanted. Coleman finished 205 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: up her program and returned home to the States that September, 206 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: where she was met by reporters from both black and 207 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: white newspapers who wanted to interview her. So pretty famous 208 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:05,560 Speaker 1: at this point. And while in New York, she was 209 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 1: invited to see a Broadway musical with an all black 210 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 1: cast called Shuffle Along. She was the guest of honor 211 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: there and the performers gave her a silver cup and intermission. 212 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 1: And she also started to form some new pretty big 213 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,559 Speaker 1: dreams about advancing the African American cause. I mean, now 214 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: that she had achieved this seemingly insurmountimal dream of of flying, 215 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 1: she had new goals and she started to think about 216 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: opening an aviation school for black people, And according to 217 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 1: McLean's profile, she said in an interview with The Chicago Defender, quote, 218 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 1: we must have aviators if we are to keep up 219 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:43,080 Speaker 1: with the times. I shall never be satisfied until we 220 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: have men of the race who can fly. Do you 221 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: know you have never lived until you've flown. But of 222 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 1: course to open a school she would need some cash, 223 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 1: and at that moment, there really was no way for 224 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:56,839 Speaker 1: her to make it in the nineteen twenties. After all, 225 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 1: there weren't any commercial airlines to work for and all 226 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 1: the oh there were some pilots who were working for 227 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 1: the postal service, they were pretty much all white night. 228 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: I mean, we've talked about that in the X episode, 229 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 1: exactly what he did working, carrying nail and doing that 230 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 1: sort of thing. So Bessie realized she would have to 231 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: make a living as an entertainer performing in air shows, 232 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: but she needed more training to do this because she 233 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,320 Speaker 1: didn't really learn how to do stunts during her first 234 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:24,319 Speaker 1: stint in flight school. Air show performers at this time 235 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,320 Speaker 1: usually did things like loop the loops and barrel rolls 236 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: and having people parachute out of plane. So in February 237 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: nineteen two, Bessie went right back to France learned some tricks, 238 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 1: so she trained there for two months and went to 239 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,679 Speaker 1: Germany to to train for ten more weeks. And while 240 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 1: she was there, she was filmed flying over Berlin. She 241 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: returned to the United States in August nineteen two, and 242 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 1: her old friend and benefactor, Robert Abbott, who was still 243 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: one of her biggest supporters, immediately scheduled an air show 244 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,439 Speaker 1: on Long Island that would feature her talents. And the 245 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: show took place Labor Day, September three, nineteen at Curtiss Field, 246 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: and according to Encyclopedia Britannica, this was the first public 247 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: flight by an African American woman in America. But the 248 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,680 Speaker 1: people who she porrowed a plane from for this special 249 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 1: occasion wouldn't allow her to do stunt, so she just 250 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 1: kind of had to fly around still, though a huge 251 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:25,080 Speaker 1: crowd of people turned out to see her and to 252 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:30,680 Speaker 1: see this remarkable feat of African American woman pilot. After that, 253 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: she did another exhibition at Checkerboard Field in Chicago, and 254 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 1: there she did get to show off her acrobatic flying techniques, 255 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: including loops, figure eights, and some spine tingling dips and dives, 256 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 1: and the audience was really thrilled by it. I mean, 257 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: I think at one point I read an account where 258 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: one of the moves she did was a dive that 259 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: almost made it look as if the plane were going 260 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:53,199 Speaker 1: out of control. So the audience was really shocked. I 261 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:55,079 Speaker 1: mean they thought something was going wrong, and then kind 262 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 1: of at the last second, she pulled up up and 263 00:13:57,880 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 1: and she was fine, and they were all really thrilled 264 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,559 Speaker 1: by that. So her stunts earned her the nickname Queen 265 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:07,319 Speaker 1: Bess Daredevil a via tricks, and also Brave Bessie. So 266 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: Abbott was the one who first started calling her Queen Bess, 267 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:12,599 Speaker 1: and that's where that case couldn't promote his his investment 268 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: a little bit. Indeed, So Bessie was pretty famous, as 269 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: you can imagine by this point. And not long after 270 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 1: that Chicago show with all of the exciting stunts, the 271 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:26,840 Speaker 1: African American Seminal Film producing company got in touch with 272 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 1: her about starring in a movie based on her life 273 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: and at her accomplishments, called Shadow and Sunshine. Bessie initially 274 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 1: agreed she signed on, but right from the beginning the 275 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: script called for her to dress in rags and represent 276 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 1: this poor, uneducated girl coming to the big city, which 277 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: of course hadn't been her situation at all. She had 278 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: worked hard to accomplish what she could in Texas and 279 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: and then made her way to Chicago. She didn't like 280 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 1: the way that the story in general, though portrayed black woman. 281 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 1: She thought it made people black people in general look ignorant. 282 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: So she quit. And quitting this project really meant she 283 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: lost the support of the black entertainment community, dropping out 284 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 1: so suddenly. And I mean, one can't help but wonder 285 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: if she had done this movie, would her name be 286 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: better known today? That's true, I didn't think about that. 287 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 1: But she still needed money after this. She didn't have 288 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 1: the support of the entertainment community, but she still needed 289 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: some cash to save but for her aviation school. I mean, 290 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 1: besides the fact that she just needed some money to 291 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 1: live as well. And I mean we mentioned before her 292 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 1: borrowing planes, she still didn't have a plane of her own, 293 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: so every time she performed somewhere, she had to rely 294 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 1: on somebody else to learn her a plane. So Bestie 295 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: needed to find some gigs fast, and she thought she 296 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 1: found a really good one in Oakland, California. In early nine. 297 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: She made a deal with the Coast Tire and Rubber 298 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: company that was based there, and they offered to buy 299 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: her a plane if she would agree to drop ads 300 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 1: for them from a plane during an air show, and 301 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: the show took place February four nine, but it didn't 302 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: exactly go as planned. It seemed like it was off 303 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 1: to a good start. Bessie was for the first time 304 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 1: flying her own plane, which was a Curtis j N four, 305 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: better known as a Jenny. It was a used plane, 306 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: though she couldn't afford a brand new plane, so it 307 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: was leftover from World War One and wasn't in the 308 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: best condition. Soon after she took off that day, the 309 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: plane's motor stalled and it fell three hundred feet and crashed. 310 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: Bessie was okay, but she was really badly injured. She 311 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: had a broken leg, fractured ribs, and internal injuries. But 312 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: what probably surprises me the most about this whole story 313 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 1: is that, rather than just being shocked and concerned, the audience, 314 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: according to McLean's profile, was really angry that they hadn't 315 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 1: gotten the show that they came to see, and they 316 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: asked for their money back. That is pretty surprising. I mean, 317 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: you would think okay, shows over and I'm worried the 318 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: pilot didn't even make it, or at least just horror, 319 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 1: you know, and I don't know, yeah, concerned for another 320 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 1: still hoping for some barrel rolls and and seeing all 321 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: the tricks that you paid for. But with a long 322 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:07,680 Speaker 1: road to recovery ahead of her, and of course her 323 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: plane demolished. Not to mention no funds anymore, Bessie had 324 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:15,199 Speaker 1: to go home to Chicago to recoup again. That she 325 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 1: didn't let that set back, I mean, breaking her leg 326 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: keep her down. She told her friends, tell them that 327 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:22,880 Speaker 1: as soon as I can walk, I'm going to fly. 328 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: About a year later, she made good on that. She 329 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: was fully recovered, and she planned a tour of lectures 330 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 1: and air shows across Texas which took her to Houston, 331 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,919 Speaker 1: San Antonio, Dallas, and her old hometown of Waxahatchie. And 332 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: the tour was a big success, even though Bessie drew 333 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: some pretty serious lines in the stand along the way. 334 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 1: For example, right before performing in Waxahatchie, she learned that 335 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:48,679 Speaker 1: black audience members were required to use a separate entrance 336 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,159 Speaker 1: to the grounds from their white counterparts, so Bessie refused 337 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 1: to fly unless everyone got to use the same entrance. 338 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:58,120 Speaker 1: So this was taking a really big risk on her 339 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 1: part because she needed the money. She needed that gig. 340 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: But surprisingly the event organizers complied with her requests because 341 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: after all of the show did not take place, they 342 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: weren't going to make any money off of it either. 343 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 1: In a way, again, it reminds me of Satil Page. 344 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 1: I think everything reminds me of Satil Page, but his 345 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,680 Speaker 1: his putting his foot down on certain issues about how 346 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:24,760 Speaker 1: events were segregated. Bessie managed to make enough money though 347 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 1: off of that Texas tour to save a little cash 348 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: and put another down payment on a Jenny the plane 349 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 1: that she had crashed in originally hoping to get a 350 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:38,959 Speaker 1: better version this time after a brief visit to Chicago 351 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,400 Speaker 1: at the end of she set off again for another tour, 352 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:44,639 Speaker 1: this time a tour of the Southeast, during which she 353 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:48,320 Speaker 1: lectured at churches and theaters and schools and both Georgia 354 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: and Florida. And there was another incident at the Chamber 355 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 1: of Commerce Flower Show in Orlando, Florida. Bessy was supposed 356 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,119 Speaker 1: to perform, and then she found out that the event 357 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 1: was advertised for White's ownly, again she refused to perform 358 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 1: unless blocks were allowed in, and again the organizers relented. 359 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: I guess when it came down to making money or 360 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 1: standing on their questionable principles money. Yeah. So during these 361 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 1: Southeastern tours, Bessie also met Edwin M. Beamon, who was 362 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:23,639 Speaker 1: the heir to the Beamon Chewing Your Unfortune. He helped 363 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,160 Speaker 1: her pay off the Jenny plane she'd started to buy 364 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:29,199 Speaker 1: back in Dallas, and she planned to use that plane 365 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: to perform a very special trick, a parachute jump at 366 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: the Negro Welfare League field day in Jacksonville, Florida. So 367 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: she needed a partner for this. She got a white 368 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: pilot mechanic named William Wills to fly the plane over 369 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: from Dallas to Jacksonville, and he had to make two 370 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:51,639 Speaker 1: emergency landings along the way because the plane kept on 371 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:55,959 Speaker 1: experiencing engine problems. Again, this was not a new plane, 372 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:59,359 Speaker 1: it was the best Bestie could afford um and she 373 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 1: was having to make do. So Will's managed to get 374 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:03,879 Speaker 1: the plane to Jacksonville and then he worked on the 375 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 1: mechanical issue. By the morning of April he told Bessie 376 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 1: that the plane was ready to fly. The air show 377 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 1: was actually scheduled for the next day, but Bessie wanted 378 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: to take the plane up to fly over the jump 379 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:19,360 Speaker 1: site and kind of get a feel for how things 380 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 1: were going to go on the day of just to 381 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:24,959 Speaker 1: be prepared. So they took off and Will's was up 382 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:26,680 Speaker 1: front since he would be flying the plane during the 383 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 1: actual jump, and Bessie was in the rear cockpit. She 384 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:33,119 Speaker 1: didn't have her seatbelt fastened because she was only around 385 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 1: five ft three ish inches tall, and she wouldn't be 386 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 1: able to lean over the side of the plane and 387 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: see the ground if she was strapped in, so it 388 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: would kind of defeat the purpose of going out in 389 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,640 Speaker 1: the first place. So they flew out, and they circled 390 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:45,439 Speaker 1: the area where the jump was going to take place, 391 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,200 Speaker 1: and then they rose to about three thousand, five hundred feet. 392 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 1: As they started to head back, they were traveling along 393 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 1: at that elevation and an eighty miles per hour, and 394 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 1: suddenly the plane nos dived at about one thousand feet, 395 00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: it went into a tailspin, and then at five hundred 396 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 1: feet it completely flipped over, throwing Bessie out of the 397 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:07,679 Speaker 1: plane and the fall killed her. Wills, meanwhile, tried to 398 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 1: write the plane, but it crashed about one thousand feet 399 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: from where Coleman landed, and he too was killed in 400 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: the crash, and an investigation that followed revealed that the 401 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: accident had been caused by a wrench that was left 402 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 1: in the engine and had gotten all jammed up in 403 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:27,919 Speaker 1: the gear. So memorial services were held for Coleman in 404 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 1: both Jackson Bill in Orlando, and on May five, her 405 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:35,920 Speaker 1: remains were returned to Chicago. The Illinois Central Train station 406 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:40,239 Speaker 1: was apparently packed with mourners upon her arrival, and at 407 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: the service that was held for her at Pilgrim Baptist 408 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 1: Church in Chicago, about ten thousand people showed up to 409 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: pay their respects. Bessie Coleman was buried in Lincoln Cemetery. 410 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: At her grave, there's a five foot high monument that 411 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: has a photo of her on it, all dressed up 412 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: in her leather flight gear that she preferred, and she 413 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:01,040 Speaker 1: standing in front of her planes. Show you guys can 414 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: google pictures of her two. She's actually really beautiful and 415 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,439 Speaker 1: her outfits are cool to look at, and it's just 416 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:09,199 Speaker 1: neat to look at because I didn't know about her 417 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,920 Speaker 1: before I researched this podcast. It was neat to just 418 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 1: look at her face. It looks kind of intense. Some 419 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:18,879 Speaker 1: of those photos twenties era aviation costumes are always pretty 420 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: cool looking indeed, but not everyone really celebrated or paid 421 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,119 Speaker 1: their respects to Bessie after her death. White newspapers at 422 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,120 Speaker 1: the time, when they recounted the crash, seemed to focus 423 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 1: more on Wills, implying that he was teaching Bessie how 424 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: to fly and the situation flight isn't it it is? 425 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:38,640 Speaker 1: And sometimes they didn't even refer to Bessie by name, 426 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:42,280 Speaker 1: calling her simply the woman the Chicago Defender, though of 427 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,440 Speaker 1: course I knew what she truly was, and wrote though 428 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,360 Speaker 1: with the crashing of the plane, life ceased for Bessie Coleman, 429 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 1: enough members of the race have been inspired by her 430 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: courage to carry on in the field of aviation. Whatever 431 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:57,480 Speaker 1: is accomplished by members of the Race and aviation will 432 00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:00,679 Speaker 1: stand as a memorial to Ms. Coleman. And and this 433 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: reminded me a little bit of the Tuskegee Airman upisode 434 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:06,440 Speaker 1: I think Candice and Jane did a while back, because there, 435 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:10,439 Speaker 1: of course the most famous African American aviators. And I 436 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 1: guess since neither of us had heard of Bethie Coleman before, 437 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: it is interesting to think of her as a as 438 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:21,920 Speaker 1: a memorial almost too till later aviators. Yeah, I though 439 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:24,199 Speaker 1: a lot of people don't know her story today. I 440 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:27,119 Speaker 1: mean compared to Amelia Earharts, who, as we mentioned, was 441 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,400 Speaker 1: a contemporary of hers, she has been remembered in that 442 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,959 Speaker 1: way that the Chicago's frender mentioned he has an inspiration, 443 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 1: especially to others of her race and her gender. In 444 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:41,399 Speaker 1: the nineteen thirties, black entrepreneur William J. Powell founded the 445 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:44,639 Speaker 1: Bessie Coleman Aero Clubs to encourage more African Americans to 446 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: participate in flying, and then in nineteen seventy seven, a 447 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:51,639 Speaker 1: group of female black pilots founded the Bessie Coleman Aviators Club. 448 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 1: She ofso has a few tributes back in Chicago. In 449 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:58,959 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety a road at O'Hare Airport was renamed Bessie 450 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 1: Coleman Drive. In in nine Chicago's mayor declared may Second 451 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 1: Bessie Coleman Day. So she still remains an inspiration for 452 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 1: aviators and even just people who want equality. There's a 453 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 1: great quote of hers that I wanted to share before 454 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 1: we finish off this episode, and it's the sky is 455 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: the only place. There is no prejudice up there. Everyone 456 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 1: is equal, everyone is free. That is a really great quote, 457 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,480 Speaker 1: and I think it's also interesting to consider her not 458 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:33,439 Speaker 1: just an inspiration for African American aviators or women, but 459 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:36,679 Speaker 1: just somebody who went out and accomplished things that she 460 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: raised money for her French lessons and moved abroad, found 461 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 1: a school that would teach her what she was trying 462 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 1: to learn. I mean, that's inspirational, gender and race aside. Yeah, 463 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 1: and she went through a lot to get there. I mean, 464 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:51,679 Speaker 1: I think people tend to get discouraged sometimes when they 465 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 1: get off track of what they want to do, like, oh, 466 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:56,160 Speaker 1: I have to work this other job. But she worked 467 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: as a laundress and as a manicurist and all kind 468 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,240 Speaker 1: ends of random things, you know, worked in a restaurant, 469 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:05,480 Speaker 1: and eventually, at the age of thirty, finally got to 470 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,640 Speaker 1: do which she was trying to go. So if you 471 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:12,879 Speaker 1: want to suggest any other similarly inspirational people to us, 472 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:17,439 Speaker 1: you can always suggest topics at History Podcast at Discovery 473 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 1: dot com. We're also on Twitter and missed in History, 474 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:24,200 Speaker 1: and we're on Facebook. And if you want to learn 475 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 1: a little bit more about the topic we discussed today, 476 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: which was flight, we have an article on our website 477 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:31,879 Speaker 1: called what was Man's first attempt at Flight? And you 478 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 1: can find that by searching on our homepage at www. 479 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:41,639 Speaker 1: Dot how Stuff Works at dot com. Be sure to 480 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,479 Speaker 1: check out our new video podcast, Stuff from the Future. 481 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,120 Speaker 1: Join how Stuff Work staff as we explore the most 482 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 1: promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The House Stuff Works 483 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 1: iPhone up has a rise. Download it today on iTunes 484 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: in Pe.