Today in history: Bessie Coleman earns her pilot's license, becoming the first female pilot of African-American descent.

 Today in history

On June 15, 1921 – Bessie Coleman earns her pilot's license, becoming the first female pilot of African-American descent.

In 1921, Bessie Coleman made history by earning an international pilot’s license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in France, becoming the first African-American woman and also the first Native American woman to become a licensed pilot. Born in 1892 in Atlanta, Texas, to a large family of sharecroppers, Coleman faced both racial and gender-based barriers throughout her life. After being rejected from flight schools in the United States because of her race and sex, she learned French, moved to France, and enrolled at the Caudron Brothers School of Aviation in Le Crotoy, where she completed a ten-month course in just seven months.

Bessie Coleman’s achievement was not only groundbreaking in aviation but also a powerful symbol of resilience against the racism and sexism of her time. Upon returning to the U.S., she was celebrated in African-American newspapers and communities as a pioneer. However, she was unable to find work as a commercial pilot, so she turned to stunt flying, which was more accessible at the time. She performed in air shows and gave lectures, always advocating for equal rights and encouraging African-Americans and women to pursue aviation. She famously refused to perform at any air show that did not admit Black people as spectators.

Her life was tragically cut short in 1926 when she died during a test flight in Jacksonville, Florida, after being thrown from an open-cockpit plane. Despite her short life, Coleman left an enduring legacy. She inspired future generations of aviators, especially Black and Native American pilots, and helped lay the groundwork for the Tuskegee Airmen and other milestones in aviation equality. Today, Bessie Coleman is honored with numerous schools, scholarships, and airport tributes in her name, as well as a U.S. postage stamp issued in her honor in 1995.