Amazon.com
In the years following the Wright Brothers' first flight, intrepid men and women flocked to the new field of aviation, but the institutionalized racism of the day sought to keep some brave and talented Americans out of the sky. This unusual video celebrates the pioneers of American aviation who happened to be black, and it makes for an entertaining look at a relatively unknown episode of both American and aviation history. Among the black flyers portrayed in this video via archival footage and interviews with people who knew them is Bessie Coleman, America's first black female pilot, who had to first go to Europe to obtain her pilot's license. Coleman died in a tragic flying accident, but her spirit lived on in black aviators who not only formed flying clubs but barnstormed the nation, performing at air shows and proving to the world that blacks had the courage and intelligence to conquer the air. Much of the material in this video is not well known, and while it details episodes that may seem like footnotes to history, the black aviators who are profiled played a valuable role in demonstrating that blacks could be extremely capable, despite the obstacles thrown in their path.
--Robert J. McNamara
Product Description
Neglected by history, America's pioneering black pilots helped shape modern aviation. Meet Bessie Coleman, the first black pilot to receive a license -- that could only be granted in Europe; Hubert Julian, who became a showman and promoter of black aviation, and James Herman Banning, the first black aviator to complete a transcontinental flight. This unique documentary profiles these and other courageous pilots who overcame intense social pressures to gain the right to fly.
