Research Guides: Bessie Coleman: Biography

Bessie Coleman (January 26, 1892 - April 30, 1926)

On June 15, 1921, Bessie Coleman became the first black woman to receive an international pilot’s license. She was also the only woman to receive a pilot’s license from the renowned Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) from among the 62 candidates in her course. Though her passport and license said she was only 25 years old, she was 29 when she finally received her license. With her license in hand, Coleman devoted three more months to training in her French Nieuport Type 82 plane in France, and then boarded the S.S. Manchuria for New York on September 16, 1921. The young pilot was surprised to find herself the focus of American media on her return, but her story touched a nerve in the country’s debates about the abilities of both women and "coloreds." Continue . . .

Source: "Bessie Coleman." Bessie Coleman, Aug. 2017, p. 1. From Academic Search Complete database.

eBook Collection

Resources

Flying to New Heights: The Life Story of Elizabeth ‘Bessie’ Coleman. The article profiles Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman, the first African American woman to receive a pilot license. It notes the encounter of Coleman and Robert Abbott, the editor and publisher of the African American newspaper" Chicago Defender," who told Coleman to learn aviation in France. It is outlined that Coleman earned the pilot's license from the Federation Aeronautique International on June 15, 1921. It also highlights William J. Powell's Bessie Coleman Aero Club in Los Angeles, California
Black Birds in the Sky: The Legacies of Bessie Coleman and Dr. Mae Jemison Article from The Journal of Negro History.
Bessie Coleman, a Young Woman with the Right Stuff, Became a Flying Role Model for African Americans Features Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman to become a licensed pilot and one of the most sensational stunt fliers during the Roaring 1920s. Personal information; Problems encountered by Coleman with her ambition to become a pilot; Other women aviators who influenced her; How Coleman was able to attend the flight school in France, Federation Aeronautique Internationale.
Bessie Coleman: Pioneer in Aviation The article presents the script of the play "Bessie Coleman: Pioneer in Aviation," by Mary Satchell.
The National Aviation Hall of Fame: Bessie Coleman Honoring Aerospace Legends to Inspire Future Leaders such as Bessie Coleman.
The Official Website of Bessie Coleman Tributes to Queen Bess.

From Films On Demand database:

The Legend: The Bessie Coleman Story In 1921, aviation pioneer Bessie Coleman arose from the poverty of the Texas cotton fields to capture the hearts of the black population of America.