Coleman, Bessie (1892-1926), was the first Black woman licensed as a pilot. She earned her license in 1921. In doing so, she also became the first African American to earn an international pilot’s license.
Coleman was born on Jan. 26, 1892, in Atlanta, Texas. Her father left when she was 9 years old. Bessie’s mother was left to raise four young daughters. To earn money, her mother worked as a cook and housekeeper. The children picked cotton. After completing eighth grade, Coleman worked as a laundress. She later moved to Chicago, where she became a manicurist.
In her 20’s, Coleman became interested in flying. In the United States, flight schools refused to teach her because she was Black and a woman. Robert S. Abbott, an African American newspaper publisher, encouraged Coleman to go to France for flight instruction. After studying French, she went there and earned her license.
In 1922, Coleman began touring with air shows in the United States as a stunt pilot. Her performances and speaking engagements made her a celebrity. Coleman made plans to start a flight school for African Americans but did not live to fulfill that wish. She was killed on April 30, 1926, during a test flight. Her airplane malfunctioned and crashed.
