[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 131 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 131

    Expressing support for the designation of February 16, 2023, as 
          ``International Black Aviation Professionals Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 14, 2023

   Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself, Mrs. McBath, Mr. Johnson of 
Georgia, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Payne, 
 Ms. Norton, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Ms. Adams, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. 
 Davids of Kansas, and Ms. Brown) submitted the following resolution; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
 Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the 
 Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing support for the designation of 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 visionaries like William J. Powell, Jr., 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 Black American auto mechanic who dreamed of 
        flying, and Willa Brown, the first Black woman to earn both a pilot's 
        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 servicemen and servicewomen 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 the first Black 
        commissioned officer in the Navy, and Eleanor Williams became the first 
        Black woman air traffic controller in 1971;
Whereas Black scientists reached 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 people into space;
Whereas Black Americans 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 former astronaut Charles F. Bolden, Jr., the first Black American to be 
        permanently named NASA Administrator, inspired the next generation of 
        aviators and innovators;
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 inventors helped revolutionize air and space travel, including 
        through the long-distance airplane designed by Charles W. Chappelle, 
        contributions by Gladys West to the development of the Global 
        Positioning System (GPS), technology created by George Robert Carruthers 
        that allowed for photography in space, and the power source created by 
        Lonnie Johnson for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 
        Galileo mission to Jupiter;
Whereas Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr., the first Black mayor of the City of 
        Atlanta, Georgia, is renowned for his diversity and inclusion plan to 
        ensure Black business owners had the opportunity to participate in the 
        expansion of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport into a 
        major transportation hub, ahead of schedule and under budget, all while 
        paving the way for minority-owned businesses to support the aviation 
        industry through construction, management, and concessions programs at 
        airports across the United States;
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, aviator, and a pioneer as one 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., the Airport Minority Advisory Council, and 
        more continue to preserve the legacy and support the future 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, to ticketing agents 
        who ensure travelers' itineraries 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, aeronautics, and science, technology, engineering, and math 
        (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 support 
        talented Black Americans through increased emphasis on intentional 
        diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, programs, and commitments 
        and 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 House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses support for the designation of 
        ``International Black Aviation Professionals Day'';
            (2) encourages the observation of ``International Black 
        Aviation Professionals Day'' through 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 to--
                    (A) recognize the stories and contributions of 
                Black American aviation professionals who broke 
                barriers, innovated, and took aviation to greater 
                heights;
                    (B) provide enhanced curriculum in schools, 
                libraries, and other places of learning to educate all 
                people of the United States with respect to the 
                contributions of Black aviation pioneers; and
                    (C) support greater opportunities for Black 
                Americans in all areas of aviation.
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