[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 73 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 73
Designating February 16, 2023, as ``International Black Aviation
Professionals Day''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 16, 2023
Mr. Ossoff submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating February 16, 2023, as ``International Black Aviation
Professionals Day''.
Whereas, since the birth of aviation, Black Americans have made and continue to
make significant contributions to flight, space exploration, and the
aviation industry as a whole, despite significant adversity;
Whereas aviation trailblazers like Emory C. Malick, the first licensed Black
pilot, James H. Banning, the first Black pilot to fly across the United
States, and Bessie ``Queen'' Coleman, the first licensed Black woman
pilot, barnstormed through barriers such as racism and sexism to have
careers in aviation;
Whereas William J. Powell, Jr., was a visionary who established the Bessie
Coleman Flying Club, sponsored the first all-Black American airshow,
wrote the book entitled ``Black Wings'', produced a documentary film
entitled ``Unemployment, the Negro and Aviation'', and worked tirelessly
to mobilize Black American youth to pursue careers in aviation;
Whereas Cornelius Coffey, a skilled auto mechanic who dreamed of flying, and
Willa Brown, the first Black woman to earn both a pilot license and a
commercial license and the first Black woman to become an officer in the
Illinois Civil Air Patrol, organized a group of Black air enthusiasts,
established training classes and a school of aeronautics, and helped
promote the 1939 flight of Chauncey Spencer and Dale White from Chicago
to Washington, DC, to campaign for an end to racial segregation in
aviation;
Whereas the Tuskegee Army Airfield, after which the Tuskegee Airmen were named,
became a vital center for Black American servicemembers to train as
mechanics, control tower operators, and pilots of military aircrafts,
launching the careers of many notable Black aviators, including General
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., Amelia Jones, Linkwood Williams, Lieutenant
Colonel Lee A. Archer, Major Charles Hall, Brigadier General Charles
McGee, and many others;
Whereas the ``Red Tails'' of the 99th Fighter Squadron, and later the 332d
Fighter Group known as the ``Tuskegee Airmen'', made pioneering
contributions to the United States war effort during World War II and
the subsequent drive to end racial segregation in the United States
Armed Forces;
Whereas, in 1958, Ruth Carol Taylor became the first Black regional flight
attendant in the United States;
Whereas, in 1956, Patricia Banks-Edmiston filed, and, in 1960, ultimately won a
discrimination case against Capital Airlines, paving the way for her to
become the first Black commercial flight attendant in the United States;
Whereas these historic firsts opened the skies for Black flight attendants,
including Joan Dorsey, Diane Hunter, Patricia Grace Murphy, Undra Mays,
Sheila Nutt, and Margaret Grant;
Whereas Oscar Wayman Holmes was the first Black air traffic controller and
served as the first Black aircraft pilot and Black commissioned officer
in the United States Navy, and, in 1971, Eleanor Williams became the
first Black woman air traffic controller;
Whereas Black scientists have played an integral role in the United States,
reaching the stars through the brilliance and fortitude of historically
overlooked and unappreciated figures, including Katherine Johnson,
Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson, whose contributions in astrophysics
allowed the United States to send individuals into space;
Whereas Black Americans finally soared amongst the stars when Guion ``Guy''
Bluford and Mae Jemison became the first Black American man and woman,
respectively, to venture into space;
Whereas the research of Black Americans like physician Vance H. Marchbanks and
psychophysiologist Patricia Cowings made it safer for astronauts to
travel to space;
Whereas Black American inventors helped revolutionize air and space travel,
including Charles W. Chappelle designing a long-distance airplane,
Gladys West contributing to the development of the Global Positioning
System (GPS), George Robert Carruthers creating technology that allowed
for photography in space, and Lonnie Johnson creating the power source
for the Galileo mission to Jupiter for the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration;
Whereas, on February 12, 2009, on a flight from Atlanta to Nashville, Captain
Rachelle Jones Kerr, First Officer Stephanie Grant, and flight
attendants Robin Rogers and Diana Galloway, made history as the first
all-female, all-Black American flight crew;
Whereas Casey Grant, an author, an aviator, and a pioneer in her own right as 1
of the earliest Black flight attendants, has made it her mission to
honor the legacy and contributions of Black pioneers in aviation through
her books, entitled ``Stars in the Sky'' and ``Stars and Beyond'', and
her efforts to introduce a new generation of young Black individuals
across the United States and in Ghana to the field of aviation;
Whereas organizations, including the Organization of Black Aerospace
Professionals, the Black Aviation Airline Pioneers, the Sisters of the
Skies, the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars, the Black Flight
Attendants of America, Inc., and more continue to preserve the legacy of
Black Americans in aviation;
Whereas Black Americans have long served in every aspect of aviation, from
skycaps, who greet travelers arriving at the airport, and ticketing
agents, who ensure the itineraries of travelers are in order, to ground
crew, mechanics, and many others, who make the aviation industry safe
and reliable;
Whereas the Federal Aviation Administration provides opportunities to eligible
students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in the fields of
aviation and aeronautics, and science, technology, engineering, and math
(referred to in this preamble as ``STEM'') through the STEM Aviation and
Space Education Program by recruiting candidates from historically Black
colleges and universities for programs such as the Minority Serving
Institutions Intern Program; and
Whereas public and private sector efforts to recruit, retain, and promote
talented Black Americans through increased emphasis on intentional
diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, programs, and commitments,
as well as investments in programs that expose underrepresented groups
to careers in aviation, will ultimately help diversify the workforce for
decades to come: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates February 16, 2023, as ``International Black
Aviation Professionals Day'';
(2) encourages the observation of ``International Black
Aviation Professionals Day'' through the recognition and
celebration of the contributions of Black aviation
professionals; and
(3) requests that the President issue a proclamation
calling upon the people of the United States--
(A) to recognize the stories and contributions of
Black American aviation professionals who broke
barriers, innovated, and took aviation to greater
heights;
(B) to provide an enhanced curriculum in schools,
libraries, and other places of learning to educate all
individuals of the United States with respect to the
contributions of Black aviation pioneers; and
(C) to support greater opportunities for Black
Americans in all areas of aviation.
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