- Kimberley Guillemet
Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman, was the first woman and the first person of African American descent ever to have an international pilot’s license. Born to a family of sharecroppers in Atlanta, Texas on January 26, 1892, she was of African American and Cherokee descent. As one of the world’s premiere civil aviators, she thrilled audiences around the country for several years in airshows and was billed The World’s Greatest Woman Flier. Aviator Coleman attended one term of college at Langston University, but had to drop out because she could not afford the tuition. She developed an early interest in flying, but no flight schools would train African Americans, Native Americans, or women in the United States during that time, so she worked as a manicurist and as a manager at a Chili Parlor to save money to go to flight school abroad. Ultimately, between the funds she had saved and support from private sponsors, she was able to go to France for flight school. She earned her pilot’s license from the world-renowned Fédération Aéronautique Internationale on June 15, 1921. Aviator Coleman became a high-profile pilot in notoriously dangerous air shows in the United States. She drew multicultural crowds and was popularly known as Queen Bess and Brave Bessie. Ever aware of the hardships she had faced in endeavoring to earn her pilot’s license, she developed a plan to start a flight training school for African American students in the United States. She died in a plane crash in 1926. Her pioneering role was an inspiration to early pilots all over the world, including Amelia Earhart. To learn more about Bessie Coleman, please visit: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/snapshot/bessie-coleman-first-african-american-licensed-pilot and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman. To view footage of her incredible journey, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wckEiKzCBqc.
- Kimberley Guillemet
Hailed as the "Godmother of Rock and Roll," Sister Rosetta Tharpe, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, recording artist, and pioneer in her unique guitar technique. Born in Arkansas in 1915 to parents who made ends meet by picking cotton, she was one of the very first recording artists to use heavy distortion on her electric guitar, which gave rise to the electric blues. Tharpe heavily influenced early Rock and Roll musicians, including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis. She was a woman performing and recording in what was, and remains, a male-dominated music scene. An undeniable force, Tharpe broke down barriers of sexism and racism with her grace, charm, sharp wit, strong will, incredible work ethic, and supreme talent. The United States Postal Service issued a 32-cent commemorative stamp to honor Tharpe on July 15, 1998. In 2007, she was inducted posthumously into the Blues Hall of Fame. In 2008, a concert was held to raise funds for a marker for her grave, and January 11 was declared Sister Rosetta Tharpe Day in Pennsylvania. To experience one of Tharpe's electric performances, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9a49oFalZE. To learn more about her life and legacy, please visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_Rosetta_Tharpe and https://unitedagainstracismnm.wordpress.com/2019/02/06/sister-rosetta-tharpe/.
- Kimberley Guillemet
Shirley Chisholm is known for breaking barriers.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, she studied and worked in early childhood education, becoming involved in local Democratic party politics in the 1950s. In 1964, after overcoming some resistance because she was a woman, she was elected to the New York State Assembly. In 1968, she became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, representing New York's 12th congressional district for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In January of 1972, Congresswoman Chisholm became the first Black person to seek the presidential nomination from one of the two major parties (the first woman was Margaret Chase Smith, who sought the Republican nomination in 1964). Her slogan was: “Unbought and Unbossed.” From the beginning, journalists and politicians did not take her bid seriously, with one journalist calling her “quixotic” in the Wall Street Journal. Though she did not win the Democratic party's nomination, Congresswoman Chisholm led an inspirational and courageous campaign. During the campaign, filmmaker Peter Lilienthal shot the documentary film Shirley Chisholm for President.
During her time in Congress, Congresswoman Chisholm led expansion of food and nutrition programs for the underserved and rose to party leadership, serving as a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She retired from Congress in 1983 and taught at Mount Holyoke College, while continuing her political organizing. Although nominated for an ambassadorship in 1993, health issues caused her to withdraw. In 2015, Chisholm was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Chisholm; https://www.history.com/news/shirley-chisholm-presidential-campaign-george-wallace.