Throughout Black History Month 2022, Air and Sea Show Executive Producer Mickey Markoff shed light on the important stories and contributions of African Americans in air and sea show history. In this magazine, you’ll learn about the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American military aviators in the US Armed Forces, and other trailblazers across multiple branches of the armed forces.

1. BLACK
HISTORY
in air & sea history
celebrating

2. BESSIE COLEMAN
Bessie Coleman was the first
African American to hold a
pilot license. However, when
she tried to attend flight
school in the US, she was
denied acceptance on behalf
of her race. She instead trained
in France and later became
renowned for her stunt flying.
She used her platform to raise
awareness of race
discrimination in aviation,
refusing to fly in events which
were segregated.

3. WILLA BROWN
Willa Brown was the first
African American woman to
earn a pilot license in the U.S.,
as well as a commercial pilot
license. Following in the
footsteps Bessie Coleman, she
cemented herself in US history,
paving the wave for others to
break the barriers that had
been in place for years.

4. CORNELIUS COFFEY
Cornelius Coffey was the
founder of the first African
American owned aeronautical
school in the US. After facing
challenges getting accepted
into flight schools, he took
matters into his own hands.
Coffey built his own plane and
taught himself how to fly it. He
was married to Willa Brown,
the first African American
woman to earn a pilot and
commercial license in the US.

5. CATHAY
WILLIAMS
Cathay Williams was a
trailblazer for women in the US
armed forces. She was the first
black women to enlist in the
US Army, enlisting during the
prohibition of women serving
in the military. She posed as a
man under the pseudonym
‘William Cathay’.

6. THE
TUSKEGEE AIRMEN
The Tuskegee Airmen made
history as the first African
American pilots in the armed
forces of the United States.
Named for the institute where
they trained, the Tuskegee
Institute in Alabama, they
became pilots in WWII.

7. CAPTAIN
REMOSHAY
NELSON
Captain Remoshay Nelson
made history as the first black
female to hold the rank of
'Officer' in the U.S. Air Force
Thunderbirds. She was the first
in 2021, but will not be the last!

8. EUGENE 'JACQUES'
BULLARD
Eugene ‘Jacques’ Bullard was
the first African American
combat aviator. Bullard bravely
served with the French
Foreign Legion after traveling
around Europe during his
initial career in boxing. After
the war broke out, he was
denied an attempted transfer
to serve with the US armed
forces due to his race. His
efforts were not left unsung,
however. He was named
‘Chevalier in the Legion of
Honor’, similar to a knight in
England.

9. JAMES BANNING
James Banning was the first
African American to fly coast to
coast. Him and his mechanic,
nicknamed the ‘Flying
Hoboes’, made the flight with a
plane made from surplus parts.
They made the fight from LA
to NY stopping at multiple legs
along the trip to raise funds for
their travel.