...Bessie Coleman was born on January 26, 1892, in a one-room, dirt-floored cabin in Atlanta, Texas, to George and Susan Coleman, the illiterate children of slaves. When Bessie was two years old, her father, a day laborer, moved his family to Waxahachie, Texas, where he bought a quarter-acre of land and built a three-room house in which two more daughters were born. When George Coleman's hopes for a better living in Waxahachie remained unfulfilled, and with five of his nine living children still at home, he proposed moving again, this time to Indian territory in Oklahoma. There, on a reservation, his heritage of three Native American grandparents would give him the civil rights denied to both African Americans and Native Americans in Texas. In 1901, after Susan refused to go with him, he went to Oklahoma on his own, leaving his family behind in Waxahachie. Susan found work as a domestic, her two sons became day laborers, and Bessie was left to be the caretaker of her two younger sisters. Education for Coleman was limited to eight grades in a one-room schoolhouse that closed whenever the students were needed in the fields to help their families harvest cotton. Already responsible for her sisters and the household chores while her mother worked, Coleman was a reluctant cotton picker but an intelligent and expert accountant. The only member of the family who could accurately add the total weight of the cotton they picked, she increased the total whenever she could by putting her foot...
Words: 1249 - Pages: 5
...“BESSIE COLEMAN" By Mandy Walsh of St. Luke Academy, Chicago © 2007 Mandy Walsh Bessie Coleman was the first African American woman to fly an airplane. Before Coleman's first flight, few women flew airplanes. The women who did were wealthy and Caucasian. Coleman always dreamed of flying. She took a stand against racism, segregation, and sexism to make her dream come true. Her bravery and determination showed the world that African Americans are equal, not just in the air, but in all places. Coleman was born on January 20, 1926 in Atlanta, Texas to George and Susan Coleman. She was born into a family of thirteen children, and her father left the family when she was young. (Hart, Up in the Air, pg. 12) Coleman had to overcome both racial and sexual barriers, because she was an African American woman. (Handlemen, Philip. "Armchair Aviator". Yankee Wings, January-February 1995, pg. 20.) The community in which Coleman lived was strictly segregated. African Americans could not go to the same schools, use the same bathrooms, or entrances into buildings. (Hart, Up In The Air, pg. 12) Coleman's family never had much money. To help her family out, Coleman took on jobs such as cotton picking, laundry, and housekeeping. Coleman had dreams of breaking away from these jobs that were for "colored people" (Hart, Up In The Air, pg. 13, 18) and promised that she would "amount to something". (Rich, Doris L. "My Quest for Queen Bess". Air and Space, August-September, pg. 57) One...
Words: 5295 - Pages: 22
...` Bessie Coleman was the first African American pilot. Also known as “Brave Bessie” or “Queen Bess,” she performed spectacular stunts at air shows, and didn’t allow racism to slow her down. As well as breaking down racial discrimination barriers, she also broke down gender barriers, as she was also the world’s first black, female pilot. Born in Atlanta, Texas on January 26, 1892, she was tenth out of thirteen children to George and Susan Coleman, who were both sharecroppers. Coleman was two years old when her father moved them to Waxahachie, Texas, where her parents had two more daughters. Her father left the family in 1901, so her mother and two older brothers went out to work, leaving Bessie to take care of the rest of her siblings...
Words: 635 - Pages: 3
...The title of my book was Bessie Coleman First Black woman Pilot. The author of the book is Connie Plants. I read 111 Pages from this book. There were four things that I learned while reading this book that I didn’t know. I learned that Bessie Coleman was born on January 26, 1892 and lived in a one-room cabin on a dirt road in Atlanta, Texas. Second, at the age of 23 Bessie Coleman secretly married 38 year old Claude Glenn, on January 30, 1917. Third thing, I learned was Chicago flight school refused to consider Bessie because she was an African American and a woman. Lastly, on June 15, 1921, Bessie Coleman became the first black woman in the world to earn the Federation Aeronautique International (FAI) pilot’s license. There were also,...
Words: 407 - Pages: 2
...Name: Chinenyenwa Okoye Topic: Bessie Coleman, the first African & Native American female pilot General Purpose: To inform my audience on the life and successful achievements of Bessie Coleman Specific Purpose: To inform my audience on the life and successful achievements of Bessie Coleman. The first African and Native American pilot who overcame racism to fly the skies and encourage other women and minorities to do the same. Thesis Statement: Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman overcame the life she was born into. Coleman was born into a family in poverty, as a woman, and African American and Native American during the latent phase of Jim Crow in the South (Cline). However, she never saw those as limitations; she turned her disadvantages into all-time...
Words: 921 - Pages: 4
...I am doing my essay on bessie coleman. She was born on January 26,1892 in Atlanta,Texas. Bessie coleman was one of 13 children to susan and george coleman who worked as sharecroppers .Her father who was a native american descent left the family in search of better apartments when bessie was a child. Bessie was the first licensed African American pilot coleman Attended college in Oklahoma but she had to quit because of financial difficulties. She moved to Chicago and worked as a manicurist and successfully operated a chili parlor. Her dream was to learn to fly when no american school wouldn’t accept African Americans . She traveled to france just to go to school for flying . She became the first black licensed black pilot in the world. Bessie coleman had a saying “If i can create the minimum of my plans and desires ,There shall be no regrets”. Coleman grew up in poverty and made a childhood vow “amount to something” She would be eventually be called “The world’s greatest flyer”. She earned the name as a pilot and a stuntwomen . She wanted others to know that she wasn’t afraid to try anything she was was brave and also well spoken....
Words: 537 - Pages: 3
...Do you know who was the first African American woman to fly a plane? Or who was the first American to receive an international pilot’s license? That person is Bessie Coleman. In this report, I will talk about Bessie Coleman, her life and family, the obstacles she faced, the influence she made on the civil rights era, and the legacy that she left. Bessie Coleman was born on January 26, 1892 in Atlanta, Texas. She was one of thirteen other children to Susan and George Coleman. When she was a toddler, her father, half African American, half Native American, left for Oklahoma Indian territory in search of better opportunities. Her mother refused to go with him, and so he left for Oklahoma alone. When Coleman turned two, her family moved to Waxahachie,...
Words: 949 - Pages: 4
...“The air is the only place free from prejudices” (aljazeera.com). Bessie Coleman was the first black woman to hold a pilot's license. What Bessie means by the quote is that when she is in the air nobody can make fun of, or judge her. She was important to American history because she showed the people that it didn’t matter what color you are. When she was the first black woman to fly a plane it showed the whites that black women were powerful and capable. After Bessie died they made a law that would allow black woman to earn pilot’s licenses. Bessie was born January 26th, 1892 in Atlanta, Texas. Her father was Native American and African-American descent while her mother was African-American. Her family grew up in poverty in a racist environment....
Words: 257 - Pages: 2
...From a shaper croppers daughter to a award winning Pilot. Bessie Coleman lead a very interesting life. She was the first black African American woman to be a pilot (“Coleman”). She was born on January 26, 1892, Atlanta, Texas. She was born with with a drive to better herself, which means if she wanted to do something she could or wanted to do it, and she was an avid reader. Bessie was one of the thirteen children to Susan and George Coleman, both of them worked as a sharecropper. George Coleman was of Native American and African American descent. He left their family in 1901, while Bessie was a child. She was two years old when her dad left, but before he left, he moved them to Waxahachie,Texas. He bought a quarter-acre of land so he could build them a house to stay in. The house had three bedrooms and one full bathroom. Susa was pregnant with twins while George was making the house. In 1901 George left because he was in search of better opportunities in Oklahoma. During this time, “Susa did her best to support the family and the children contributed as soon as they were old enough”. In south of Dallas in a small town thirty miles, she was seven when her dad moved back to Oklahoman (Bessie). “Being Indian in Texas was more dangerous than being colored ”(Bio | Bessie Coleman)....
Words: 1265 - Pages: 6
...Yoltic Barrera Coach Liles 11-11-17 Texas History Bessie Coleman Essay Bessie Coleman was an American civil aviator who became the first female African-American pilot with a flight licence. She was born on January 26, 1892 in Atlanta, Texas. She was one of thirteen children to Susan Coleman and George Coleman. Her parents were both sharecroppers. Her father later ended up leaving to seek better opportunities in Oklahoma, but he never came back. Her mother tried her best to support her family, but she could not do it herself. So when some of the children were old enough, she let them contribute in things to support the family. However, Bessie was left at home to take care of the young ones. When Bessie was twelve years old she received a letter to attend...
Words: 658 - Pages: 3
...When Bessie returned to Chicago in October, she was interviewed in her apartment by a reporter from the Chicago Defender. The paper photographed her proud mother, Susan, holding the silver cup presented to her daughter by the Shuffle Along cast. Bessie told the Chicago Defender that she had ordered a plane built for her own use, a Nieuport de Chasse with a 130 horsepower engine in which she intended to give exhibition flights in America and other countries. Although Bessie was known for much exaggeration, the pride she had for her race was deep and genuine. When a reporter from the Chicago Herald offered to do a story on her if she agreed to pass as white, she took her mother and niece along with her for the interview. She was laughing as they walked into the reporter’s office. Pointing to Susan and Marion, who were dark-skinned, she said, “This is my mother and this is my niece, and you want me to pass?” Apparently, the interview didn’t take place. Bessie went back to France to learn about stunts to entertain a crowd. She soon discovered that money couldn’t be made from her initial training. No one knows Bessie Coleman, nor where Bessie received her money, but she had chic Paris gowns and attractive leather flying apparel and much...
Words: 742 - Pages: 3
...BESSIE SMITH 1894 – 1937 Bessie Smith, known as “Empress of the Blues”, was born on April 15 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was one of seven children to a part-time Baptist preacher and his wife. However, by the time Bessie was nine years old both of her parents were dead. Bessie and her brother Andrew were already singing on the streets of Chattanooga for spare change. Bessie’s older brother Clarence had joined a travelling vaudeville1 show as a comedian and dancer and in 1912 he arranged an audition for Bessie with the Moses Stokes Company. She joined as a dancer and working alongside established star Ma Rainey, rose to be a featured singer. By 1920 she had established herself as leading artist on the TOBA (Theatre Owners’ Booking Association) packing in crowds for every show. By 1921, having been married and widowed, Bessie moved to Philadelphia in an attempt to get a recording career underway, initially with little success. After various touring shows, Clarence Williams sought out Bessie to record together in New York and in 1923 the song Down Hearted Blues (with Clarence on piano) was recorded with great success, selling more than 80,000 copies in 1923. Between 1923 and 1933 Bessie recorded more than 150 for Columbia Records, making her one of the most prolific artists of her time. She is reported to have earned around $2,000 per week at the height of her career. Bessie’s recordings ranged from uproarious vaudeville songs to slow blues. ...
Words: 327 - Pages: 2
...Civilization Day, by Ornette Coleman, was recorded September 9th, 1971. Coleman’s album Science Fiction consisted of a variety of songs that were very different, that included Civilization Day. Some important elements of what we’ve learned were evident in this song. The musicians combined collective improvisation with solo improvisation. He referred to this improvisational concept as harmolodics, a shortened form of the words harmony, melody, and motion. The alto sax, trumpet, and non-walking bass were used to create this piece in different parts of the song. Coleman has been criticized for playing out of tune, but this is one other way for Coleman to “play outside” which was what he aimed to do. The photo I chose to associate with Coleman’s song is one that represents chaos, crowd, and conjunction. It is a photograph that was taken on May Day in NYC in 2010. Thousands of workers and immigrant laborers took to the streets to celebrate May Day, demanding rights for those “who toil in the sun”. The message in Manhattan was delivered with bullhorns and drums. Their voices and fight were echoed by millions of workers around the world, from Havana to Berlin and Istanbul. The issues were the same: more jobs, better working conditions, higher wages and decent health care. In the photo, we can see an extremely crowded NYC street. There are so many people harboring the streets that it looks as thought there is no space to move. Similar to the photo, the music has beats and rhythms...
Words: 297 - Pages: 2
...Coleman Corporation Introduction The Coleman Company is one of the largest sellers of camping equipment and is devoted to inspiring people to get outside. Coleman is committed to their customers, stakeholder and their most important asset the employees. Coleman strives to hire excellent talent inside and outside the company to add to their team of successors. Coleman’s innovation is providing the highest quality products to its customers by following their mission and values which is the core foundation of their success. The Coleman Corporation was created in 1900 with the distribution of a basic Coleman lantern. Later in 1915 Coleman provides lanterns for soldiers in World War I and also back in the United States for farmers and ranchers to work later hours. In 1923 Coleman introduces the camp stove. Products are now reaching all end of the globe and are proving useful for outdoor activities. By the 1930 competitors have started to catch up and the great depression is now showing hardships in the United State. Coleman adapts and changes the product not only to go beyond the competition but to meet the new needs of customers. In 1930 Coleman introduces gas floor lamps and oil space heaters. In 1942 Coleman create the pocket stove for the soldiers in World War II. Today Coleman produces many products for outdoor use including the original lanterns to complete outdoor kitchen sets. The timeline shows how Coleman has evolved over the past years. The values of...
Words: 1248 - Pages: 5
...BESSIE SMITH essie Smith, “The Empress of the Blues” was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Bessie is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era. She and Louis Armstrong were a major influence on other jazz vocalists. Her birthday isn’t known for sure, but the 1900 census indicates that Bessie was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on July 1892. The 1910 census recorded her birthday as April 15, 1894, a date that appears on all subsequent documents and was observed by the entire Smith family. Census date also contributes to controversy about the size of her family. The 1870 and 1880 censuses report three older half-siblings, which later interviews with Smith’s family and contemporaries did not include these individuals among her siblings....
Words: 4886 - Pages: 20
