Indiana University Northwest’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs (ODEMA) celebrated black history this month with events designed to heighten awareness of African American contributions throughout history.
One of the most engaging was “Life and Times Bessie Coleman: The First African American Female Pilot,” a one-woman show performed by Bessie’s great-niece, Gigi Coleman.
Just as other tales of pilots returning from World War I inspired us all, so did Bessie Coleman’s pioneering journey from the cotton fields of Texas to the skies above Paris. Coleman became an inspiration to generations of pilots who followed her.
Coleman’s energy, as well as her memorabilia, entranced the audience, also filled with schoolchildren, for whom she later provided autographs.
