III 

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 


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‘‘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; 


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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 alVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Feb 17, 2023 Jkt 047007 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR73.IS SR73

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lowed 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, allBlack 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 aeroVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Feb 17, 2023 Jkt 047007 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR73.IS SR73

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nautics, 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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates February 16, 2023, as ‘‘Inter3 national Black Aviation Professionals Day’’; 

4 (2) encourages the observation of ‘‘Inter5 national Black Aviation Professionals Day’’ through 

6 the recognition and celebration of the contributions 

7 of Black aviation professionals; and 

8 (3) requests that the President issue a procla9 mation calling upon the people of the United 

10 States— 

11 (A) to recognize the stories and contribu12 tions of Black American aviation professionals 

13 who broke barriers, innovated, and took avia14 tion to greater heights; 


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1 (B) to provide an enhanced curriculum in 

2 schools, libraries, and other places of learning 

3 to educate all individuals of the United States 

4 with respect to the contributions of Black avia5 tion pioneers; and 

6 (C) to support greater opportunities for 

7 Black Americans in all areas of aviation. 

Æ 


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