by Dan Perkins

The African American experience is rooted in aviation and increasingly in aerospace.  Those roots run especially deep through the Great Lakes Region.  Chicago is regarded by many as the cradle of Black Aviation.  It is home to numerous black pioneers who launched extraordinary aviation careers in Chicago and beyond. The most famous of these pioneers is Bessie Coleman who became the first African American to obtain a pilot’s license in 1921.  Although she died performing an aerial stunt, her legacy continues to inspire black aviation enthusiasts.

While Chicago receives considerable attention for its rich aviation history, the city’s neighbor to the east, Gary, Indiana, is helping to write a new and important chapter in the African American experience in aviation.  Gary's growing prominence as a Black Aviation center began after the illegal and costly destruction of Chicago's Meigs Field in 2003 by Mayor Richard M. Daley.  Prior to the late night destruction of the runways, Meigs Field was used extensively by members of the EAA (Experiment Aircraft Association) to operate the Young Eagles Program, which provides many young people with their first exposure to flight. 

Following the destruction of Meigs Field, EEA volunteers along with members of the Chicago chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen moved their activities to the Gary/Chicago International Airport. Each month, usually the second Saturday of the month, members of the two organizations provide lectures and free flights to youngsters with interests in aviation.  Most of the youth who come to the Saturday morning sessions are African American.

As exciting as the Saturday morning flights are, they represent only the beginning of Gary’s contribution to Black Aviation.  This month, Black Aviation sprouted a new leaf when Gary’s Mayor, the Honorable Rudy Clay, and the Gary branch of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) agreed to support a series of aviation-related events offered by a newly formed non-profit organization known as Women of Color in Aviation and Aerospace International, Inc. (WCAAI). 

The WCAAI Event was held at the Gary/Chicago International Airport, August 18-19, 2007, and coincided with the Chicago Air and Water Show, an annual event that draws hundreds of thousands of spectators to Chicago's lakefront.  Although the WCAAI Event drew a substantially smaller audience, it was, nonetheless, a spectacular debut for the organization, which was founded earlier this year by Lt. Col Beverly Armstrong, a trained helicopter pilot with the U.S. Army.  Throughout the two-day event, the public was given opportunities to meet aviation and aerospace professionals and to learn about pioneers in the field as well as career possibilities.

“We are delighted to have been the host city for the first Women of Color in Aviation and Aerospace International Event,” said LaLosa Dent Burns, press secretary to the Mayor of Gary and director of public information.  “The Honorable Mayor Rudy Clay supports this cause,” she continued.

Educating more Americans - especially young people - about the accomplishments of pioneers like Bessie Coleman and other women of color in aviation and aerospace is what Armstrong aims to do through WCAAI.  Already, her efforts to increase such awareness among Gary’s youth have garnered the praise and support of Tammi Davis, president of the Gary NAACP.

“Historically, the NAACP’s charge has been to remove the barriers for African Americans; and we are pleased to support this aviation event that salutes, includes and educates not only women of color, but children of color as well.  It is important to expose our children to opportunities that they might not see everyday or may not see on television,” said Davis.

When Davis speaks of role models, she is referring to women like Luanne Wills-Merrill who oversees flight safety standards in northern Illinois for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  Wills-Merrill attended a reception for WCAAI hosted by the City of Gary.  While there, she learned of WCAAI’s vision and mission.

“I’m very excited to learn of the Women of Color in Aviation and Aerospace and of the events they are having to let people know that there are black women in aviation, in many capacities,” said Wills-Merrill.

Armstrong would like WCAAI’s future programs to also garner the support and participation of black-owned businesses.  Attending this year’s event was Arthur Freeman, an entrepreneur from South Carolina who is a nephew of Bessie Coleman.  Freeman operates a travel agency called Glow Travels that offers packaged vacation deals and other travel-related services to individuals, groups and organizations.  Freeman told this publication that he is pleased with WCAAI’s plans to educate and inspire future generations of young people, in part, by informing them of Bessie Coleman’s aviation achievements.

Armstrong believes WCAAI can provide valuable networking opportunities for scores of African American entrepreneurs in aviation- and travel-related fields.  “We hope to tie-in more businesses,” said Armstrong who views the success of WCAAI’s inaugural event as a major stepping stone for future programs. 

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