Centennial of a Pioneering Pilot: Bessie Coleman
-
Presented Online
Free
100 years ago Bessie Coleman became the first African American woman to earn her pilot’s license. In the 1920s she toured the U.S. as a barnstormer, entertaining crowds with her aerial aerobatics and inspiring contemporaries with her boundless determination to fly despite significant racial and gender prejudice. A champion of other early aviators, she planned to open a flight school for African Americans, a dream unfulfilled due to her untimely death in 1926.
Coleman has been an inspiration and role model to generations of pilots and an enduring symbol of perseverance. Join us for a panel discussion celebrating Coleman’s centennial achievement, boundary-breaking life, and lasting legacy.
Gigi Coleman, the great niece of Bessie Coleman, will provide the program's introduction.
Ellen Stofan, the Smithsonian’s Undersecretary for Science and Research, will moderate a panel discussion featuring:
- Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian
- Philip Hart, author, educator, filmmaker, and descendent of early aviator James Herman Banning
- Carole Hopson, pilot and author
This program will be presented live on YouTube with live closed captioning. Sign up to get a reminder.
The GE Aviation Lecture Series is made possible by the generous support of GE Aviation.
How to attend
We rely on the generous support of donors, sponsors, members, and other benefactors to share the history and impact of aviation and spaceflight, educate the public, and inspire future generations. With your help, we can continue to preserve and safeguard the world’s most comprehensive collection of artifacts representing the great achievements of flight and space exploration.