CASES
CASES OF
CASES OF THE BEE ONE ONE SEVEN VARIANT4@ IN THE UNITED STATES. ORVILLE WRIGHT ONE HALF OF THE
WRIGHT BROTHERS WHO ARE REVERED
AS THE PIONEERS OF AVIATION
CAME UP WITH A POWERFUL QUOTE
THAT IS STILL REFERENCED TODAY.
HE SAID IF WE ALL WORKED ON THE
ASSUMPTION THAT WHAT IS
ACCEPTED AS TRUE IS REALLY TRUE
,TH4@ERE WOULD BE LITTLE HOPE OF
ADVANCE.
LITTLE DID HE KNOW HOW MUCH
MORE MEANING WOULD BE ATTACHED
TO THAT QUOTE BY A RARE GROUP
OF PILOTS4@ MORE THAN A CENTURY
LATER, BLACK WOMEN MAKE UP LESS
THAN ONE4@ HALF OF ONE PERCENT F
THE TOTAL PROFESSIONAL PILOTS
IN4@ THE UNITED STATES.
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF AVIATION4@ HAS DEFIED
THAT PERCENTAGE FOR ALLUMS.
ALL WOMEN OF COLOR HAVE MADE
THEIR DREAM CAREERS TAKE FLIGHT
13 ON ROSSIDES GRANT ASHCROFT
CAUGHT UP WITH THESE SISTERS OF@
THE SKIES.
THEIR HOPE FOR MORE
DIVERSIFICATION ON THE FLIGHT
DECK IS THE FOCUS OF OUR
MICHIGAN4@ LIFE >> ON A CLEAR DY
THE VIEW FROM THIS OFFICE4@
WINDOW IS CAPTIVATING.
I REMEMBER A TWO HOUR FLIGHT4@
THE WHOLE TIME IT WAS A SUNSET
>> WHEN LOOKING OUT IT SEEMS
LIKE EVERY COLOR IMAGINABLE
IT'S CAN BE SEEN4@.
I KNOW EXACTLY HOW AN AIRPLANE
WORKS BUT IT'S STILL AMAZES ME
EVERY TIME.
>> BUT THERE'S ONE COLOR I FELT
LIKE >> I DIDN'T BELONG.
I DIDN'T DESERVE TO BE4@ THERE >
AT THIS ALTITUDE THAT'S RARELY
SEEN.
WHY4@ IS IT THAT THERE ARE NOT A
LOT OF BLACK FEMALE PILOTS?
MONIQUE >> GRAYSON IS ONE OF
THE FEW NINETY >> NINE POINT
NINE PERCENT OF THE TIME WHEN4@
YOU GET ON AN AIRPLANE, WHEN
YOU LOOK IN THE FRONT OF THE
FLIGHT DECK, WHAT DO YOU SEE?
YOU DON'T SEE ANYBODY THAT
LOOKS LIKE ME.
FLIGHT SCHOOL WASN'T EASY FOR
>> HER.
I DEFINITELY REMEMBER GOING TO
COLLEGE BEING4@ PRETTY ALONE >>.
HOWEVER, I KNEW THAT I WAS THE
ODDBALL SHE4@ PERSEVERED.
I >> SEE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT
ARE SITTING IN THE FLIGHT DECK
THAT MEANS THAT THERE THAT'S
FOR THEM.
YOU KNOW W4@HAT I MEAN?
IF WE IF WE ASSUME THAT THAT'S
TRUE THEN WE'RE NOT GOING TO B4E
ABLE TO PROGRESS FORWARD PAST4@
THE ASSUMPTION OF TRUTH.
MONIQUE >> NO LONGER FELT OUT
OF PLACE THAT WAS REALLY
DETERMINED TO BECOME ONE.
WHEN >> ALEXIS BROWN JOINED THE
CLASS >> I JUST THOUGHT LIKE
WHAT AN AWESOME THAT4@ WOULD BE
SHE STRUGGLED TO JUST SEEMS SO
FAR OUT OF REACH BUT >>
GRADUATED AND GOT HER WINGS.
HAD I LISTEN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE
ALONG THE WAY I >> WOULDN'T BE
WHERE I'M AT.
ALEXIS4@ AND MONIQUE CLEAR4@ED E
RUNWAY FOR TWO MORE WOMEN OF
COLOR TO4@ 10 WMUB BRIANA JACKSN
.
THERE >> WASN'T REALLY SOMEONE
I FELT LIKE I COULD GO TO TO
KIND OF ASK FOR HELP >> AND
MICAH CLARK IN >> SCHOOLS WAS
LIKE OK, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO
WHEN YOU GROW UP?
PILAR4@ WAS NEVER A THOUGHT
BECAUSE >> I DON'T SEE IT.
SO WHAT GIVES?
THAT IS >> AN4@ EXCELLENT
QUESTION SEEING ALL THE COLOR
FROM THE4@ COCKPIT IS COMMON
REPRESENTATION MATTERS BUT
WITNESSING WOMEN4@ OF COLOR IN T
WHY NOT ME ISN'T I THINK >>
PART OF IT IS BECAUSE THERE MAY
BE A BELIEF THAT THERE'S A4@
BARRIER TO ENTRY ALL FOUR >>
WOMEN ARE TRULY IN RARE AIR.
HEY4@4@, HERE I AM.
YOU CAN DO TO >> EACH ONE IS A
SUCCESSFUL PILOT OF A
COMMERCIAL AIRLINER.
I FLY THE SEVEN FLIGHTS THAT
LETTING THE NEXT GENERATION SEE
SOMETHING SO THEY BELIEVE THEY
CAN4@ BE SOMETHING >>
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE CAME UP
TO4@ ME AND SAY HEY, YOU'RE THE
FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN4@ PILOT
I'VE SEEN IN MY LIFE AND SHE
FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN4@ PILOT I'VE SEEN IN MY LIFE AND SHE4@ ENDED UP GETTING MY CAPTAIN'S4@
NUMBER.
SHE CHANGED HER CAREER FROM
BEING A TRUCK DRIVER TO BEING A@
PILOT >>.
THESE WOMEN WILL NEVER GET
TIRED OF THIS4@ VIEW.
I REMEMBER >>4@ FLYING ON THIS
AIRPLANE AS A PASSENGER AND IT
KIND OF PIQUED MY CURIOSITY AND
NOW I'M SITTING4@ FRONT FLYING T
>>.
THEY DEFIED SOCIETY'S
LIMITATIONS, DON'T LET ANYBODY
TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN'T DO WHAT
YOU DREAM OF DOING4@ AND BEAT TE
ODDS.
THEY NEVER LOST SIGHT OF THEIR
GOALS TO BE HERE >>4@.
I'M JUST SOMEBODY STANDING ON
SOMEBODY ELSE'S SHOULDERS TO
HELP SOMEBODY STAND ON MEASURES
THAT WE CAN KEEP FLYING.
YOU KNOW >> HOW I MAYBE ONE DAY
WHEN LOOKING AT THE COLORS FROM
THE COCKPIT THE DOOR IS OPEN
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANY YOUNG
LADY OF COLOR WHO WANTS TO
PURSUE AVIATION TO TO TAKE
COMMAND AND PURSUE IT4@.
THERE WON'T BE ANY >>
EVERYTHING I IMAGINE IT COULD
BE MISSING4@ IF WE WILL ALL
CHANGE OUR PERSPECTIVE AND SEE
THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE SEE IS
NOT NECESSARY4@, REALLY TRUE AND
CHALLENGE THINGS THEN WE WOULD
BE ABLE TO PROGRESS FORWARD4@4@
NOT NECESSARY4@, REALLY TRUE AND CHALLENGE THINGS THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PROGRESS FORWARD4@4@I
STARTED TRAINING YET SO TO SAY
THE DOOR IS WIDE OPEN TO PURSUE
CAREERS4@ IN AVIATION IS AN
UNDERSTATEMENT AND SISTERS OF
THE SKIES ISN'T JUST THE TITLE4@
OF THIS STORY.
IT'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT
EXISTS TO GET YOUNG
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALES
EXPOSED TO A CAREER IN AVIATION@
THROUGH FELLOWSHIP, MENTORING
AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS.
IF