Bessie was an EMPOWERED young woman who didnt take no for an answer. During the height of the Jim Crow era, not a single flight school in the United States was willing accept her. Undeterred, she moved to Chicago, became a manicurist, took french classes, and from there she moved to France to pursue her dreams of becoming the first black female pilot.

After earning her international pilot’s license, Bessie went on to perform in air shows, dazzling crowds with stunt flying that included barrel rolls, figure eights, and parachuting directly from the wing of her Curtiss JN-4D “Jenny”, an aircraft with an open cockpit.

Not only was she a pioneer in aviation, she was also a committed activist who vowed to never perform at segregated air shows. Even after a devastating crash that left her with broken bones, Bessie refused to abandon her career. Once she recovered, she returned to the skies with the same determination as before.

A few years later, while practicing for another air show, a loose wrench lodged in her planes engine controls caused a fatal crash, leading to her death in 1926. Before she passed, Bessie dreamed of opening a flight school for black aviators.

There’s so much to be said about her courage, willpower and determination. May Bessie’s story live forever.