American flight schools wouldn't teach her. So she learned French.
By The Black History Room1 min read
Bessie Coleman. Bessie Coleman in 1923. Unknown. 1923-01-24. Public domain. Source.
Bessie Coleman, a manicurist from Chicago, sailed to France and on June 15, 1921 earned her pilot's license, the first African American woman to do it. Back home, "Queen Bess" flew loops at air shows and pushed back against segregated crowds.