When Bessie Coleman took to the skies in the early 20th century, she did more than fly—she shattered ceilings. Born in 1892 in Atlanta, Texas, Bessie became the first African American and Native American woman to earn a pilot’s license. Her story is one of courage, persistence, and a refusal to be limited by the barriers of race and gender.

Growing up in a family of sharecroppers, Coleman faced poverty and racism from a young age. Opportunities for education were limited, especially for a young Black girl in the segregated South, but Bessie was not going to let anything stand in her way of her aviation dreams.

In the United States, no flight school would accept a Black woman. But when the door closed, Bessie found a window. She taught herself French and traveled to France in 1920 to attend the Caudron Brothers’ School of Aviation. In 1921, she earned her international pilot’s license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale—becoming a global pioneer.

When she returned to the U.S., Bessie quickly gained fame as a barnstormer—a daring stunt pilot who performed aerial tricks at airshows. Nicknamed “Queen Bess,” she thrilled audiences with loop-the-loops and figure-eights. But her mission was bigger than stunts. She dreamed of opening a flight school for Black students, to ensure others could follow in her path. Bessie used her platform to challenge racial stereotypes and encourage African Americans and women to pursue aviation and education.

Tragically, Bessie Coleman’s life was cut short in 1926 when she died in a plane crash during a test flight in Florida. She was only 34. Her body came though the Pratt Funeral Home, what is now home to the Raven.  Our room “The Bessie” pays homage to this incredible woman and her achievements.

Though her life was brief, her legacy endures.