In the dictionary, the word “tenacious” ought to be followed by a photo of Chicagoan Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to earn a pilot’s license.
Coleman, also of Native American descent, moved to Chicago in her early 20s hoping to find and follow her dreams, but she discovered that no pilot training schools would admit her. After hearing that pilot training was open to women in France, Coleman taught herself French and moved to Paris, where her hopes were dashed as the Paris schools were also closed to women.
Most people would have called it quits but not Coleman. She traveled to northern France, where she was able to achieve her dream of earning her pilot’s license in 1921. Having faced so many closed doors, Coleman’s mantra became: “Every ‘no’ takes me closer to a ‘yes.'” Chicago has honored Coleman by naming a road at O’Hare International Airport “Bessie Coleman Drive.”
And now, Coleman is finally getting the national recognition she deserves, as the U.S. Mint releases a new quarter emblazoned with her image as part of its American Women’s Quarter program.
Regrettably, Coleman’s recognition is rare. So many women who have played key roles in American history have been ignored in history books or relegated to supporting roles for men.