Bessie Coleman With all That Flying Time Surely She Became Rich!

 “He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.”

— Deuteronomy 28:44 (KJV)

Bessie Coleman, the first African American and Native American woman to earn a pilot’s license, lived modestly and often precariously despite her fame.

Why she didn’t become wealthy

• Limited opportunities: In the 1920s, racism and sexism shut her out of commercial aviation, airlines, and military flying jobs.

• Income source: She earned money mainly through barnstorming air shows, parachute jumps, and lectures — exciting but seasonal and inconsistent work.

• Self-funded mission: Coleman spent much of her earnings on:

  • Maintaining and repairing aircraft

  • Travel expenses

  • Promoting aviation in Black communities

  • Her dream of opening a flight school for African Americans

    
    
    

• No inheritance or safety net: She came from extreme poverty and had no generational wealth backing her.

At the time of her death

• She did not own significant property

• She had no large savings

• She was actively planning future projects rather than accumulating wealth

Bessie Coleman died tragically in 1926 at age 34, cutting short what might have become a more financially stable later career.

Her real legacy

While she never achieved financial wealth, she left something far more enduring:

• Inspired generations of Black aviators

• Became a global symbol of courage and defiance

• Forced America to confront who was allowed to fly