WEEK 2: EUGENE BULLARD AND BESSIE COLEMAN

Eugene Bullard (1895-1961)

Born in Columbus, Georgia, but ran away as a teen in hopes to escape racial discrimination after witnessing his father’s near-lynching
Settled in France as a boxer and enlisted in the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion in WWI
Became the first African-American combat pilot after being wounded in action in 1916, receiving his training at various locations in France and completing his flight training in 1917
Also served France in WWII and over the course of his military career received 15 French war medals
He was famous and highly esteemed in France, but was relatively unknown in the US until an appearance on the Today Show in 1959
After his death, Bullard was inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame (1989), and commissioned as a second lieutenant in US Air Force (1994), exactly 77 years to the day after trying to enlist in the US Air Force but denied because of the color of his skin

First female African-American and Native-American to receiver her international pilot’s license
Born in Atlanta, Texas and moved to Chicago at age 23 to attend beauty school
Interested in aviation, she applied to many US flight schools, but was denied by all of them because she was black and a woman
Determined to become a pilot, she learned French and moved to France to attend the Caudron Brother’s School of Aviation
Specialized in stunt flying and parachuting
Performed the first public flight by an African American woman in 1922
Became famous in Europe and the US for her airshow performances, touring, and giving flight lessons
Was also famous for standing up for her beliefs, and would not speak to or perform for segregated audiences
Tragically died in a rehearsal for an airshow, the plane spiraling out of control and throwing her from the plane at 2000 feet
In 1931, the Challenger Pilots’ Association of Chicago began the tradition of flying over Coleman’s grave each year
She was commemorated on a stamp in 1955
In 1977, African American women pilots formed the Bessie Coleman Aviators Club