Topic > Amelia Earhart and Bessie Coleman's Contributions to the Fight Against Racial and Gender Inequality

In the early 1900s, a new age and era was developing in America. Innovative ideas and inventions were around every corner. From vacuum cleaners to radio broadcasts to, well, a flying car. Yes, airplanes. Not the airplanes we know now with flight attendants and meals, but it all started as a real flying machine. We can attribute the invention of the airplane to a few individuals: Alberto Santos-Dumont, Karl Jatho, John Stringfellow and, of course, the Wright brothers among others. These individuals paved the way for aviation to truly grow into a catalyst for world-changing travel. During the early days of aviation, many people took an interest in the industry and added new ideas. The public was very interested in these flying machines and the popularity of the airplane theme only increased, giving aviators during this period fame and celebrity status. The idea of ​​celebrity in aviation contained many different values ​​based on various attributes, some of which were race and gender. The value of celebrity for women like Bessie Coleman and Amelia Earhart revolved around being a beacon of hope and confidence for the success of generations of black and non-black women. Their value as celebrities was something that gradually became more and more powerful and continues to be powerful today. Using their celebrity status, Coleman and Earhart were major contributors to the movement to decrease racial and gender inequality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Bessie Coleman was the first woman of African American descent and the first of Native American descent to hold a pilot's license. Due to the stigma in the early 1900s regarding sexism and racism, this was almost an impossible achievement for Coleman. In America, in fact, it was practically impossible. After searching for years, Coleman realized he couldn't acquire decent flight training in America, so he went to France to get his license. She returned to America in September 1921, ready to perform in aviation. He started flying in Chicago. Doing stunts and figure eights, and continuing to do so with ever larger audiences, has brought her much fame. However, fame for her was not just a matter of photo shoots and signing autographs. In fact, no matter how famous she was, we were still in the early 1900s. Women, and especially women of color, were not treated equally. For example, in a paper titled “The Conceited Dare-Devil,” the writer talks about how he lost to a woman (Bessie Coleman) with an ego, once again, and how women shouldn't flaunt their accomplishments. Even through hatred like this, Coleman took a much more altruistic approach. “His ultimate goal was to establish a flight school for African Americans” (Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight 'Women in Aviation and Space History' 2008). She always made sure her audience was non-segregated and always attracted multicultural crowds. He wanted to make sure he inspired everyone, especially young African Americans, to enter the field of aviation. Coleman died during a May Day test flight in Florida in 1926. While his life was cut short, his legacy was not. She was and continues to be one of the pioneers of women in the fields of science. Amelia Earhart was an early American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Earhart, like Coleman, started out just as someone interested in a field of.