Bessie Coleman's life
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Created on December 1, 2022
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Transcript
Bessie Coleman's life
©2022 Kapow Primary
www.kapowprimary.com
Start
©2022 Kapow Primary
www.kapowprimary.com
©2022 Kapow Primary
www.kapowprimary.com
What does the photograph tell us about Bessie Coleman?
1
Credit: PF-(aircraft) / Alamy Stock Photo
©2022 Kapow Primary
www.kapowprimary.com
©2022 Kapow Primary
www.kapowprimary.com
2
Bessie Coleman was born in Texas, USA, on 26 January 1892. She became interested in aircrafts and flight after reading about flying achievements in World War 1. Bessie returned to America and put on airshows where she would perform a variety of daring flying stunts, such as the loop-the-loop, to huge audiences. As a result, she was given the name ‘Brave Bessie’.
©2022 Kapow Primary
www.kapowprimary.com
©2022 Kapow Primary
www.kapowprimary.com
3
Bessie saved up money to apply to an American flight school but they would not allow her to join because she was a person of colour. She had heard that she could apply to a flying school in France, so she saved up more money and learnt to speak French. In 1919, Bessie went to France to train to be a pilot and got her pilot's licence in 1921 within a year of training. She was the first woman of colour to get an international pilot’s licence.
Credit: IanDagnall Computing / Alamy Stock Photo
©2022 Kapow Primary
www.kapowprimary.com
©2022 Kapow Primary
www.kapowprimary.com
4
Knowing she needed more training, she went to France, the Netherlands and Germany. When Bessie returned, she continued to perform stunts and became famous throughout America for her flying skills and fearlessness. Whilst recovering from an injury, Bessie worked in a beauty shop and saved money to buy her own plane. She also wanted to set up a pilot school for people of colour in America. ‘The air is the only place free from prejudices,’ she stated.
Credit: PF-(aircraft) / Alamy Stock Photo
©2022 Kapow Primary
www.kapowprimary.com
©2022 Kapow Primary
www.kapowprimary.com
Whilst preparing for an airshow, Bessie died in a plane crash on 30 April 1926. She did not achieve her dream of opening a flight school but her friend, William Powell, set up the Bessie Coleman Aero Club to encourage people of colour to become pilots.
5
Credit: Science History Images / Alamy Stock Photo