Bessie Coleman
The first African American and Native American woman pilot, who opened the door to the sky.
Bessie Coleman (1892–1926) was the first African American and Native American woman pilot in the United States. In an era when opportunities were rarely open to either Black people or women, she crossed that thick wall with a single dream: “I will fly the sky.” And so today she is remembered as a symbol of courage toward the sky.
On the reverse of the coin is engraved the image of Bessie Coleman wearing a leather flying helmet, looking up at a biplane in flight. And it holds together the date “6.15.1921,” which is the day she earned her international pilot’s license. In her upward gaze is held, just as it is, the heart of wanting to head into the sky.
In the United States, because she was both Black and a woman, it was not even easy for her to enter a flight school. So she crossed over to a foreign country to learn to fly, and at last she took an international pilot’s license into her hands. The date engraved on the coin honors the decisive moment when she threw open, by herself, a door others had kept shut.
After earning her license, she made her name known by showing off her flying skills before many people, and she especially told Black young people with emphasis that “you too can fly the sky.” Though she lived a short life, the footprints she left gave courage to many pilots who followed.
Holding the coin and gazing at Bessie Coleman looking up at the sky and the date “6.15.1921,” we come to encounter the story of one person who, in the end, rose into flight toward a dream that had seemed impossible. That is the reason she is still honored today.