And she would - San Diego International Airport

In loving memory of Jeseca Graves
1972–2007

Bessie Coleman: The Story of an Aviation Pioneer
Text copyright © 2008 San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
Illustrations copyright © 2007 Jon and Jeseca Graves
The mission of the Airport Explorers Program is to provide youth
with the inspiration to reach for the sky by understanding
San Diego’s aviation past, satisfying curiosity about airport
operations, and cultivating dreams of flight.
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN: 978-0-9745294-1-7
For Cataloging in Publication (CIP) data, please contact the
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

BESSIE
COLEMAN
The Story of an Aviation Pioneer
To anyone who dares to dream big . . .

On a calm spring morning in the
cotton fields of Texas, young Bessie Coleman
sighed as she stretched her arms and reached for
the sky. Although her family was poor, Bessie’s
dreams were big and she was eager to learn.
She just didn’t have the opportunity.
Long days of filling sacks with cotton meant
there would be food on the table for Bessie’s large
family each night. But that didn’t keep her from
dreaming.
She was determined to be somebody—to make a
difference someday. And she would.
2

Bessie was 11 years old when the Wright brothers
successfully launched the first powered flight in
1903. By that time, Bessie had developed a fine
mind for numbers. She hated the smell of cotton,
but she had a nose for knowledge. In the fields,
she checked the foreman’s math to make sure the
cotton count was correct. She did other people’s
laundry to help save money for her education. She
told her teacher that someday she would amount
to something great.
Indeed, her life of big dreams, hard work, and
determination would lead to great things.
At 18, Bessie took classes at a university in
Oklahoma, but her money soon ran out.
After just one term, she had to return home.
3

But she didn’t give up. She kept reading, learning,
and dreaming. She studied role models in
her books and learned about other people with
the same skin color as her own—people who
dreamed big dreams and did great things.
In 1915, Bessie moved to Chicago where her
older brother, Walter, worked as porter carrying
people’s luggage at train stops. There, in the heart
of the windy city, Bessie learned how to trim and
file people’s nails. She loved sitting at her small
table in the barbershop listening to the conversations
while she buffed and shined her customers’
nails. She loved the big city, too, and spent nearly
five years there as she waited for her special
opportunity to fulfill her dreams.
4

That opportunity came as Bessie listened to the
barbershop stories of the heroes of World War I
and the French women who flew airplanes.
Bessie’s mind raced.
She knew at that moment that she wanted to fly.
But while she was rich in imagination and big in
dreams, she didn’t have much money. She was a
woman with dark skin and at that time in America,
no flight school would accept a woman or an
African-American as a student.
She needed help and called on her friend Robert
Abbott, founder of the newspaper Chicago
Defender. He told her that if she wanted it badly
enough she could learn to fly in France.
5

Determined as ever, Bessie enrolled in French
language school, found a better job in a restaurant,
and started to save for the tuition money required
for aviation school.
A year later, Mr. Abbott helped Bessie buy a ticket
aboard a cruise ship headed to France. Saying
goodbye, he promised to write about her accomplishments
in his newspaper. Armed only with
her passport and some money from Mr. Abbott,
she set sail for a new chapter in her life—one that
she hoped would bring all of the joy and success
her dreams would allow.
She soon found that her mind for math came in
handy as she sat in the French flight school and
puzzled through the calculations and equations.
8

Pilots had to know how to determine how much
fuel they would need on a flight, how fast they
should go, and so many other things! She loved
the challenge and chose a seat near the front
every day to take detailed notes.
Bessie was the only woman in the class of 62
students—and the first African-American. She
walked nine miles to and from school every day,
but soon, she would take to the skies. She would
soar!
On June 15, 1921, after years of dreaming and
endless determination, Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman
became the first woman and African-American to
earn her international pilot’s license. Her adventures
were just beginning.
9

While still in Europe, Bessie’s accomplishments
made front-page news in all the African-American
newspapers across the United States. And, oh,
how she could tell stories, delighting the European
crowds with her spunky style and tales of flying
adventures. Adults cheered and children raced to be
near her as she waved and smiled.
She took more flying lessons and returned to
America to perform daring stunts and tricks.
Using her “celebrity” status to gain sponsorships,
she was able to buy her old scruffy bi-plane,
“Jenny,” and pay for her expenses.
The plane may have been shabby, but Bessie was
stunning—looking pretty and brave in her long
leather coat from Paris, tall shiny boots, leather
helmet and goggles. Crowds loved her, and she
loved them right back.
12

Bessie wouldn’t fly in any shows that didn’t allow
African-Americans to watch. Her shows brought
in so much money, though, that eventually people
of all skin colors were able to enjoy her tailspins,
figure eights, spirals, and fancy flips. She also
dreamed of opening a flight school in America,
where African-Americans could learn to fly.
One day, 10,000 people gathered for a show,
but “Jenny” never made it. The plane nosedived
when its engine stalled and came crashing to the
ground.
Although many of her bones were broken,
Bessie’s spirit was unquenchable, and she soon
returned to the air. When she did, she soared in
borrowed planes and thrilled crowds of fans.
13

At each show, Bessie’s speeches and words of
encouragement inspired many children in the
audience to believe that they could accomplish great
things, too. “Follow your dreams,” she would say.
15

Bessie’s dream of opening a flight school was
almost a reality when, sadly, tragedy struck. A
day before she was to take to the skies above
Jacksonville, Florida, she and her mechanic copilot
took her old rundown plane for a test flight.
After kneeling in prayer, Bessie had her mechanic
fly the plane as she sat in the back seat. Unfortunately—because
she wanted to lean over the side
to choose a site to land for a parachute jump the
next day—Bessie didn’t fasten her seat belt.
As they soared through the air, the plane suddenly
went into a tailspin! Without a seat belt to hold
her in, Bessie tragically fell out of the plane to her
death. She was 34 years old. Her co-pilot perished
when the plane crashed a few seconds later. The
cause of the plane trouble was never determined.
16

Although Bessie died at a young age, her words of
encouragement and determination to follow one’s
dreams live on.
Bessie Coleman paved the way for African-
Americans to dream of accomplishment and
freedom. She overcame poverty, racism, and
discrimination; traveled abroad twice; learned
a foreign language; and became the world’s first
licensed female pilot.
And if she could say anything to you today, it
most certainly would be:
“Follow your dreams!”
18

What are your dreams
Can you identify any of the challenges you might
need to overcome in order to accomplish them
19

How would you feel if you did fulfill your dreams
20

21
To learn more about Bessie Coleman and other
aviation pioneers, visit your local library or
www.AirportExplorers.com.

About the Illustrator
Jeseca Ann Graves followed her dream of becoming a professional
artist. A native of Southern California, Jeseca brought
San Diego International Airport’s children’s program to life
with dozens of original illustrations
of Airport Explorers Skykid Sam;
his dog, Jet; Propeller Pete; and
Flygirl Pearl.
Like Bessie Coleman, Jeseca fought
courageously against the odds to
fulfill her dreams, illustrating—and
smiling—through a six-year battle
against a rare form of cancer.
This book is dedicated in loving memory to Jeseca and her two
aspiring artists—her sons, Everen and Christian.

Visit us on the Web at www.AirportExplorers.com.
This book is only available for distribution through
the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.