Saturday Matinee: History Dispatches

Summary

History Daily Podcast Summary
Episode: Saturday Matinee: History Dispatches
Release Date: June 28, 2025
Host/Author: Airship | Noiser | Wondery
Transcript Provided By: [User]

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Introduction

In this special episode of History Daily, titled "Saturday Matinee: History Dispatches," host Lindsay Graham delves into the inspiring story of Bessie Coleman, an early aviation pioneer who broke significant racial and gender barriers in the early 20th century. This episode not only highlights Coleman's achievements but also contextualizes her contributions within the broader historical landscape of aviation and civil rights.

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Early Life of Bessie Coleman

Background and Upbringing
Bessie Coleman, born Elizabeth Bessie Coleman on January 26, 1892, in Atlanta, Texas, was the 10th of 13 children. Her father, George Coleman, was African American with Cherokee ancestry, and her mother, Susan Coleman, was African American. Growing up in a poor family of sharecroppers, Bessie attended a segregated one-room school where she excelled academically, particularly in mathematics and reading.

Challenges Faced
Despite her academic prowess, financial hardships limited her educational opportunities. After completing high school, Coleman briefly attended college but had to withdraw after one term due to financial constraints.

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Pursuit of Aviation

Inspiration and Determination
At the age of 23, in 1915, Coleman relocated to Chicago, where she worked as a manicurist in a barbershop. It was here that she first heard captivating stories about airplanes and pilots, sparking her fascination with aviation. However, pursuing her dream was fraught with challenges:

“In the United States, it was essentially impossible for a black person, and especially a black woman, to learn how to fly.”
— McKinley (04:07)

Support and Mentorship
Recognizing her determination, Robert Abbott, founder and publisher of the Chicago Defender, encouraged Coleman to seek aviation training in France, where opportunities for people of color were more accessible. With financial backing from banker Jesse Binga and the support of the Chicago Defender, Coleman embarked on her journey to Paris on November 20, 1920.

Training in France
In France, Coleman trained at a flight school, mastering the Newport 564 biplane. Her dedication paid off when, on June 15, 1921, she became the first African American woman and the first Native American to earn a pilot's license in the United States.

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Achievements and Career as a Barnstormer

Return to the United States
Upon her return to the U.S. in September 1921, Coleman gained immediate media attention. She adopted the nickname "Queen Bess" and entered the competitive field of barnstorming—a popular form of aerial entertainment that involved traveling air shows featuring stunt flying.

“She was very calculated in what she was going to do in her life. If she saw an opportunity, she was opportunistic.”
— McKinley (14:07)

Success and Impact
For five years, Coleman was a celebrated figure in the aviation circuit, performing daring stunts such as loops and figure eights to captivate audiences. Her performances not only entertained but also served as a platform to combat racism and promote the advancement of African Americans in society. She refused to participate in events that excluded African Americans and leveraged her fame to challenge societal prejudices.

Media and Advocacy
Coleman utilized her media presence to advocate for racial equality. She turned down demeaning roles offered in films, insisting on being represented with dignity. Her efforts laid the groundwork for future African American aviators, including the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.

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Tragic Demise and Legacy

Aviation Risks
The life of a barnstormer was inherently dangerous due to the lack of regulation and the rudimentary state of aviation technology. On April 30, 1926, while performing a flight test in Jacksonville, Florida, Coleman's plane malfunctioned, leading to a fatal crash that claimed her life at the age of 34.

Circumstances of the Crash
Investigations revealed that a wrench had been inadvertently left in the engine, causing the mechanical failure that led to the crash. Both Coleman and her mechanic, William D. Wills, lost their lives in the accident.

Legacy and Remembrance
Coleman's death was mourned by thousands, with an estimated 10,000 attendees at her funeral in Chicago. Her grave at Lincoln Cemetery bears a poignant quote:

“The air is the only place free from prejudices. I knew we had no aviators, neither men nor women. And I knew the race needed to be represented along this most important line. So I thought my duty to risk my life to learn aviation.”
— Bessie Coleman

Inspiration for Future Generations
Bessie Coleman's pioneering spirit and unwavering determination continue to inspire generations of African American aviators and women in aviation. Her legacy is a testament to the impact one individual can have in breaking barriers and fostering societal change.

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Conclusion

Bessie Coleman's story, as highlighted in this episode of History Daily, underscores the intersection of personal ambition and broader social movements. Her achievements in aviation not only broke racial and gender barriers but also paved the way for future advancements in both fields. Coleman remains a symbol of resilience and innovation, embodying the spirit of someone who dared to dream beyond the constraints of her time.

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Notable Quotes:

• “If you're gonna do this, you can't do this in the United States. You have to go to France.”
  — Robert Abbott (04:25)

• “She was a smart lady. She was calculated. She left for Paris on November 20, 1920, and then attended flying school.”
  — Matt (06:24)

• “She refused to participate in events where African Americans weren't allowed to attend.”
  — McKinley (11:37)

• “The air is the only place free from prejudices.”
  — Bessie Coleman (14:07)

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Further Listening:
For those inspired by Bessie Coleman's story and interested in more historical accounts, consider following History Dispatches through the provided show notes.

Transcript

[Narrator]

There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history [e-mail] On June 1, 1921, several biplane trainer aircraft took off from Curtis Southwest Field outside Tulsa, Oklahoma. They circled the Greenwood district of town north of the Frisco railroad tracks, and then from their high vantage point, they joined in the violence below. A white mob had descended on Greenwood, often called Black Wall street, for the affluence and prosperity of this predominantly black neighborhood. So while the mob shot, beat and bludgeoned in the streets, these aircraft terrorized from above, firing rifles and dropping flaming tarballs, setting buildings ablaze that burned from the roofs down. This horrible event became known as the Tulsa Race Massacre and marked a dark day in the history of aircraft, perhaps their first use in American domestic terrorism. But two weeks later, half a world away in Paris, France, a completely different milestone in aviation took place. On June 15, 1921, Texas born Bessie Coleman took to the sky in her airplane and in the process became the first African American woman and first Native American to earn a pilot's license. On today's Saturday Matinee, we are sharing an episode from the fantastic daily history show History Dispatches that details the exploits of Bessie Coleman and how, in an era of racial prejudice and violence, she persevered to become a pioneer of aviation. I hope you enjoy and while you're listening, be sure to search for and follow History Dispatches. We put a link in the show notes to make it easy for you.

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[McKinley]

On June 15, 1921, Texas born Bessie Coleman took to the sky in her airplane and in the process became the first black woman and the first Native American to earn a pilot's license in the United States. Today we look at this aviation pioneer. Incoming transmission.

[Matt]

Hello and welcome to History Dispatches. I am here with my dad, Matt.

[McKinley]

Hi. This is Matt and I'm with my son McKinley.

[Matt]

Hi. Today we're learning about Bessie Coleman, a very early aviation pioneer, breaking several barriers. We always like a good barrier breaker on this show.

[McKinley]

Yes, we do. Yeah.

[Matt]

Here at History Dispatches like to bring you a show every single weekday. A short fun thing that we find of interest. And today we're learning about Bessie Coleman.

[McKinley]

I came across Bessie Coleman's name quite a few years ago and I've just never forgotten about her. And while she obviously has a spot because of her gender and her race and all that kind of thing, I always just liked how she wanted to do something so bad that she did it and she overcame all those extra barriers. You know, she almost reads like a.

[Matt]

Character in a children's book, like, just like what? She had this goal that she wants.

[McKinley]

To do and you can find children's books on her. So yeah, yeah, that's exactly it. So let's talk about Bessie Coleman. ELIZABETH Bessie Coleman was born on January 26, 1892 in Atlanta, Texas. She was the 10th of 13 children of George Coleman, an African American with Cherokee grandparents, and Susan Coleman, an African American. Bessie grew up in a poor family. They were sharecroppers. She went to a segregated one room school. She loved to read and was an excellent Math student. In 1901, her father left the family, heading to Oklahoma to find better work opportunities. Susan Coleman and the children would not Follow him. Now, Bessie would go to high school, and then she would even go on to college. But she only lasted one term because she did not have enough money to continue. So that takes us up to 1915. And at the age of 23, Bessie decided to move to Chicago. She got work in a barbershop as a manicurist. And it was there that she would hear stories about planes and pilots, because this was World War I era, and she was fascinated by the idea. A side note, there were very few blacks who flew planes in combat in World War I. There was no one in American forces because blacks could not fly planes in the American military. At the time, there was one guy, only one American, but he was in the French Foreign Legion. So as a side note, I wanted to mention that. So it's not like she had black neighbors who were pilots. No one was, but she knew the stories, and she was fascinated.

[Matt]

She wanted to fly.

[McKinley]

Yeah. And like I said, in the United States, it was essentially impossible for a black person, and especially a black woman, to learn how to fly. But she really, really wanted to be a pilot. And she talked about it, and she told people this. And that's when I want to introduce a new character to our story, and that is Robert Abbott.

[Matt]

He.

[McKinley]

He was an African American who was the founder and publisher of a paper called the Chicago Defender. He heard about her story, and he would encourage her to pursue her dreams. He said, if you're gonna do this, you can't do this in the United States. You have to go to France. France was known to be more open to people of color and stuff like that. Artists and musicians were welcome in Paris and places like that. He would even publicize what she wanted to do in the paper and. And people would promise to support her. And then when she got a big financial sponsorship from a banker by the name of Jesse Binga, as well as the Defender newspaper, she was able to head off to France. But before she left, she actually started taking French lessons to prepare for her journey. So she was a smart lady. She was a smart lady. And that's one of the things you kind of get from her, is that she knew what she was doing. She was calculated. She left for Paris on November 20, 1920, and then attended flying school. She first learned to fly a Newport 564 biplane, which was a basic, simple plane. It was called a Newport 564 because it weighed 564 pounds. Very simple. So she would do her training, and then on June 15, 1921, she would become the first black woman and the first Native American to earn an aviation pilot's license. But you know what? Getting your license was just the start of things. There was a lot more to learn about being a pilot, and Bessie Coleman will meet that challenge.

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[McKinley]

Visit carecredit.com to apply and find a location with near you subject to credit approval. Bessie Coleman would spend a couple of months in France learning to be a better pilot. She even took lessons from a French ace from the war. And then she returned to the United States in September of 1921. And she was kind of a media sensation when she came back. Here was this black woman who was able to fly a plane, come back.

[Matt]

From across the sea with this new skill.

[McKinley]

And she wanted to be what was called a barnstormer. You know, this is basically like a. A circus. They would fly around from place to place all over the country and put on air shows. You have to remember, though, this was really a highly competitive field, and that's because all these people had come back From World War I, all these pilots, and if they wanted to fly. This was before commercial aviation.

[Matt]

Maybe you could be a male pilot.

[McKinley]

But that's about it. Yeah, there wasn't a lot. And plus, they loved the freedom of flying individual planes and. And the thrill of that. So it was a very highly competitive field, and she realized that she needed to get better if she was going to compete in that. So she had to go and learn more. And of course, she had to go to Europe to do that because no one would teach her in the United States. And so it was back to Europe, where she would go for more training. Eventually, in 1922, she would return to the United States, and now she would bill herself as Queen Bess. She made her first appearance at an American air Show on September 3, 1922, at an event honoring the veterans of the All Black 369th Infantry Regiment of World War I. So for the next five years, Bessie Coleman would be a popular flyer on the airplane circuit. She would get interviewed by newspapers and so forth. She would go to events. She was known for her daredevil stuff, and that's what you needed to do.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[McKinley]

And like I said, she was calculated. She knew if you wanted to be invited to these things, if you wanted to be paid, you had to be good at this and you had to provide thrills.

[Matt]

Draw to the crowds.

[McKinley]

Yeah. So, you know, you had to go up.

[Matt]

There's Queen Bess.

[McKinley]

Yeah. And you had to be up there.

[Matt]

Quadruple figure eight.

[McKinley]

Exactly. Doing that. Do the loops, do the figure eights, do the whatever. People love dangerous. So, you know, the plane swooping down and almost hitting the ground. The more dangerous, the better. And it was dangerous. She had a crash in 1923, and she broke a leg and three ribs, but she kept flying. And so for five years, she did this. And at the same time, she always was promoting aviation and combating racism, because that was a big thing to her. She. She talked about how pursuing her aviation goals was a way for African Americans to advance themselves in society. She saw herself as being just as good, just as equal as everyone else on the circuit. Also, she refused to participate in events where African Americans weren't allowed to attend. Also, through her media contacts, she was even offered a role in a feature, like film, but she turned it down when they basically turned her character into, like, a stereotype of a poor, you know, black woman or whatever.

[Matt]

She wasn't going to be a flyer.

[McKinley]

I don't know what the, what it was exactly supposed to be, but she was supposed to walk around like with a walking stick and tattered clothing and stuff. It was just, it was demeaning in her mind and so she said no to it.

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[McKinley]

I was reading one quote by someone. They said she was very calculated in what she was going to do in her life. So if she saw an opportunity, she was opportunistic. That's what it was. If she saw an opportunity, she took it. To make money. To draw attention to racism, to draw attention to herself, to the industry, she took it. But here she drew the line at certain things and that was one of them. Now, as I said, she would be a flyer for five years, be a top draw all over the country. And that takes us to April of 1926. She was in Jacksonville, Florida. She had recently purchased a Curtiss JN4, which was known as a Jenny in Dallas. Her mechanic and publicity agent, a guy named William D. Wills, he flew the plane from Dallas to Jacksonville for this show and several times he had had to make emergency landings because, yeah, because it was having some issues when they got the plane, there was some concern about it and they ran through the numbers and checked it out and everything like that, and they decided that they were good with it. Coleman and Wills took it up for a flight test. It was April 30, 1926, and they were in Jacksonville. So Wills and Coleman flew up, and it went well for about 10 minutes. But at 3,000ft, the plane suddenly started going down into a dive, and then it went into a spin. Now, Bessie Coleman was actually thrown from the plane at about 2,000ft. So she plummeted 2,000ft down and was killed. The other guy in the. In the plane, Will William Wills, he crashed in the plane and blew up and was killed as well. So both these people were killed. I'm not going to lie to you. This was a common thing for these pilots, these barnstormers. They lived really, really dangerous lives. The aviation industry was really unregulated and things like that. So what these people were doing with the planes, what they had to operate with, was always a bit sketchy. By the way they looked through the wreckage, they found that a wrench used to service the plane had actually been left in the engine or someplace. And that's what was causing problems. Yeah, it was just a mistake on someone. So it was then that Bessie Coleman died. She was 34 years old. There would be a service in Florida for her, but then her body was taken to Chicago, where there she was buried. And it was said that 10,000 mourners were in attendance because she was just so famous and beloved amongst the African American community. Like I said, when I first read about Bessie Coleman, like I said, I can't remember how long ago. It was just a story. I think that struck me most was about a woman who just loved the idea of flying. And once she got up there, she loved it even more. And I love that. And I love that. Then she used it to do bigger and better things. She had a dream, I know they said to establish a school for black aviators, but obviously she. She died too young, and that never happened. But it was her pioneering achievements that would serve as an inspiration for an entire generation of African American men and women. I think the. The biggest thing you can say right off the bat would be with World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen, African Americans actually were trusted to fly planes in. In combat. The last thing I want to mention about Coleman is her grave in Lincoln Cemetery in Chicago. On it is a quote from her, which I like. So I wanted to end this with it. It says, the air is the only place free from prejudices. I knew we had no aviators, neither men nor women. And I knew the race needed to be represented along this most important line. So I thought my duty to risk my life to learn aviation. So that is her quote and how important she thought it was not just for her to be a flyer, but to be a flyer as representing women and African American people. So there you go. That is the story of Bessie Coleman, the first black woman and the first Native American to earn an aviation's pilot license. She is an inspiration to women and men of all races.

[Matt]

Absolutely. She just one of those people that you could not keep down and I really like that that she would risk her life. I mean the planes were only like 20 years old at this point and she's willing to go up there and do this and do one of the most dangerous jobs in the country at that time. It's just insane. But she needed to and I can, I can admire that for sure.

[McKinley]

Yeah. And I, I think sometimes when we talk about people being forefront of racial matters and stuff, that was important to her. But you know, it was just more than anything, it was just like she saw something she loved and she was like, there are no African Americans doing this and I'm going to do it and no women. You know what's more important there?

[Gordon Carrera]

Yeah.

[McKinley]

So. But it was a great, it was just a great story, a great story about an amazing woman and it was fun telling it. So thanks.

[Matt]

Thank you dad and thank you for listening. Please check us out@history dispatches.com if you would like to learn more. Have a good day.

[McKinley]

Thanks everyone. Bye. Transmission complete.

[Gordon Carrera]

Hello, I'm Gordon Carrera, national security journalist.

[David McCloskey]

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