American Airlines and Barbie celebrate Bessie Coleman
Founder of the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-stars and great-niece of Bessie Coleman Gigi Coleman celebrates her aunt
American Airlines and Barbie have honoured the legacy of Bessie Coleman, the first Black and Native American woman to earn a pilot's license in 1921.
American Airlines flight 771, which flew from Dallas-Fort Worth to New York on January 26, Bessie Coleman’s Birthday, had an all-Black female flight crew with passengers receiving the newly released Barbie Inspiring Women Series Bessie Coleman doll from Mattel.
American continued to inspire the next generation of aviators by hosting a special program for aviation students at the Ronald E. McNair public school 5 in Brooklyn, New York — a place designed to inspire youth to follow and build upon Bessie Coleman’s rich legacy.
Mattel’s Inspiring Women series debuted in 2018 to honour historical and modern role models for generations of girls. So far, the series has paid tribute to a diverse lineup of women including Madam C.J. Walker, Dr. Jane Goodall, Ida B. Wells, Dr. Maya Angelou, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, Katherine Johnson, Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks, Sally Ride, Billie Jean King, Ella Fitzgerald, Florence Nightingale, and Susan B. Anthony.
