Bessie Coleman

Pilot

Quote: "I refused to take no for an answer." (Source: https://cdn.quotesgram.com/img/20/4/1037671594-quote-i-refused-to-take-no-for-an-answer-bessie-coleman-39915.jpg)

Biography: She was the first African-American woman, and also the first Native-American, to hold a pilot license. She then became a high-profile pilot in dangerous air shows in the United States. She was popularly known as Queen Bess and Brave Bessie, and hoped to start a school for African-American fliers. Flying schools in the United States denied her entry, she taught herself French and moved to France, earning her license from France's well-known Caudron Brother's School of Aviation in just seven months. Coleman specialized in stunt flying and parachuting, earning a living barnstorming and performing aerial tricks. She remains a pioneer of women in the field of aviation. (Source: https://www.biography.com/explorer/bessie-coleman)