Bessie Coleman dreamed of learning how to fly a plane however she was plagued by race and gender discrimination at flying schools in Chicago, Illinois. To overcome her adversity, she decided to leave the United States and move to France in 1920. In France, she became the first African American woman to learn how to fly in 7 months and earn an International pilot’s license.
After moving back to the United States in 1922, Bessie went on to perform at countless Air Shows until her untimely death during a performance in 1926.