Despite being the first licensed Black pilot in the world, Bessie Coleman (1892-1926) wasn’t recognized as a pioneer in aviation until after her death. Though history has favored Amelia Earhart or the Wright brothers, Coleman—who went to flight school in France in 1920—paved the way for a new generation of diverse fliers like the Tuskegee Airmen, Blackbirds and Flying Hobos.
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