Bessie coleman biography timeline with pictures
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In 1995, she was posthumously inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors in the aviation industry.
This induction acknowledged her pioneering spirit, determination, and her role as a trailblazer for African American aviators and women in aviation. In Chicago, she found work as a manicurist, a job that allowed her to make a modest income and support herself.
Early 1920s: Aspiration for Aviation
While in Chicago during the early 1920s, Bessie Coleman developed a deep aspiration for aviation.
Learning to fly
After befriending several leaders in South Side Chicago's African American community, Coleman found a sponsor in Robert Abbott (1868–1940), publisher of the nation's largest African American weekly, the Chicago Defender. She became a beautician and worked as a manicurist at a barbershop on the south side of the city.
Both were killed. Her mechanic, William Wills, was piloting the plane, and the accident resulted from a mechanical failure.
Timeline of Bessie Coleman
1892: Bessie Coleman’s Birth
On January 26, 1892, Bessie Coleman was born in Atlanta, Texas, USA.
She was the youngest of thirteen children born to George and Susan Coleman, who were sharecroppers.
Growing up in a large, impoverished family, Bessie faced significant challenges and limited opportunities.
1915: Relocation to Chicago
In 1915, seeking better opportunities and a chance to escape the constraints of rural life and racial discrimination in the South, Bessie moved to Chicago, Illinois.
In 1915 at age 23, Bessie moved to Chicago to live with her older brother.
Back in Waxahachie Coleman again worked as a laundress until 1915, when she moved to Chicago, Illinois, to live with her older brother, Walter. New York: Margaret K. McElderry, 2001. Her fearless flying and charismatic personality quickly earned her fame, and she became known as “Queen Bess” in the aviation world.
As “Queen Bess,” she toured the country, captivating audiences with her aerial displays.
She dazzled crowds with her stunts at air shows and refused to be slowed by racism (a dislike or disrespect of a person based on their race). She often assured her ambitious church-going mother that she intended to "amount to something." After completing school she worked as a laundress and saved her pay until 1910 when she left for Oklahoma to attend Langston University.
Flight schools in the United States did not accept African American students, especially women, which presented a significant barrier to pursuing her dream.
Undeterred by these challenges, Bessie Coleman remained determined to become a pilot and began exploring alternative options to achieve her goal. Bessie's mother and two older brothers went to work and Bessie was left as caretaker of her two younger sisters.
Her performances not only showcased her exceptional flying skills but also challenged prevailing stereotypes about African Americans and women, inspiring others to follow their dreams and break barriers in aviation.
1927: The Bessie Coleman Aero Club
In 1927, following the untimely death of Bessie Coleman in a tragic plane crash in Jacksonville, Florida, the aviation community recognized her pioneering contributions and the impact she had made on aviation history.
On April 30, 1926, Wills piloted the plane on a trial flight while Coleman sat in the other cockpit to survey the area over which she was to fly and parachute jump the next day. She would be a leader, she said, in introducing aviation to her race. She was the tenth of thirteen children in her family.
Fly High!: The Story of Bessie Coleman. She became a manicurist, where she met many rich black people.
Bessie's brothers told her stories of French women who could fly airplanes, still a new invention.
Reproduced by permission of the
Corbis Corporation
.She also became the first African American woman to hold a pilot’s license.
There, she met Robert Abbott, the publisher of the Chicago Defender.