The first Black and Native American female pilot, Bessie Coleman, is now getting her very own Barbie doll.
In an “Inspiring Women” series headlining Black History month, Mattel has released a new Barbie doll to celebrate Coleman’s achievements for women in aviation.
Don’t know who Bessie Coleman is? Here’s her background.
Who is Bessie Coleman?
Bessie Coleman was born on Jan. 26, 1892, into a family where she was one of 13 kids, in Atlanta, Texas.
After spending much of her life in Texas, Coleman moved to Chicago at 23 years old and learned more about the stories of World War I pilots, which sparked her interest in becoming a pilot herself, according to Biography.
National Geographic Kids reported that Coleman saved up money so she could apply to U.S. flight schools, only to get rejected because of her race and gender.
When she realized that the U.S. schools would continue to stop her, she learned French and was accepted in the Cauldron Brothers’ School of Aviation in Le Crotoy, France, where, in a year, she earned an international pilot’s license.
“The air is the only place free from prejudice,” Coleman said.
The National Women’s History Museum reported that Coleman was the first woman of both African American and Native American descent to receive an international pilot’s license and become an aviator.
Why does Bessie Coleman have a Barbie doll?
Barbie has created a Coleman Barbie doll in order to honor her life and legacy, as well as empower women today with her example, according to ABC News.
Uptown Magazine reported that a written message on the Barbie doll box includes a quote from Coleman: “I made up my mind to try, I tried and was successful.”
The message on the back of the Barbie box shares the vision behind the “Inspiring Women” series by detailing, “Girls need more role models like Bessie Coleman, because imagining they can be anything is just the beginning. Actually seeing that they can be makes all the difference.”