I'd like to meet:
Bessie Coleman was one of the first African-Americans in the world to become a licensed pilot, and one of the first women in the country to do so.Bessie was already 28 when she decided a flying career was more important than the usual female pursuits of the period just after World War I. Though she had two strikes against her - her color and her sex - she had the stamina and the will to do what she wanted. It was suggested Bessie go to France to learn to fly as women there were learning and she could join them.But English was not the international language of aviation, as it is today, so Bessie had to learn French in order to communicate with her instructors. And she needed money to get there. Work in Chicago now meant realization of her dreams.Bessie sailed for France in late 1920, to the flight school of LeCrotoy, and for the next 10 months, she learned how to fly - and the hazards of flight. Aircraft were fragile and student pilots who made mistakes often were killed.In September 1921, Bessie returned to the U.S., a real pilot with a real license. One of her first flying exhibitions was at Chicago's Checkerboard Field, before a crowd which included some of her friends. Dapper little Bessie wore a military-type uniform, complete with puttees and a Sam Brown belt, so that she looked like many other daredevil pilots of the era. For the next four years, she flew at shows whenever she could, and in between taught aviation for African-Americans.The Jacksonville, Florida Negro Welfare League was sponsoring an air show on May Day 1926 and asked Bessie to perform. Unfortunately, she was killed before the show while testing her plane. No one was sure exactly what happened, as accident investigations were not so thorough in those days. It is known, however, that she fell more than a mile to her death.Though her career was short, Bessie Coleman's determination, daring and skill will always be remembered.
Music:
Heroes:
A hero should be one's self! It is not intelligence alone that brings success, but also the drive to succeed, the commitment to work hard, and the courage to believe in yourself. Know that your dreams must come from your heart's deepest desires. Only then will the barriers come down before you. To know your heart, you must know yourself. You are who you decide to be, not who other people decide for you to be. Be noble. Stand on the higher ground. Create your life and then go out and live it!