Making Herstory
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license in 1921, American hosted the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars tour.
To honor her legacy, American hosted a flight operated by an all-Black Female crew - from the pilots and Flight Attendants to the Cargo team members and aviation maintenance technicians.
This is a beautiful recap of the events and highlights this historic flight crew.
Empowering Women in the Skies
Project Title: Empowering Women in the Skies: Celebrating Bessie Coleman’s Legacy
Objective: To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license, American Airlines launched the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars Tour. This initiative culminated in a historic flight operated entirely by an all-Black female crew, showcasing the airline’s commitment to diversity, equity, and representation in aviation.
Through this video recap, we honored Bessie Coleman’s legacy, amplified the voices of Black women in aviation, and reinforced American Airlines’ role in shaping a more inclusive industry.
My Role:
Creative Oversight: Led the storytelling direction, ensuring a compelling, emotionally resonant video that honored the historic nature of the event.
DEI Messaging Strategy: Ensured the narrative emphasized strong, accurate diversity, equity, and inclusion messaging, aligning with the company’s values and the significance of the event.
Project Management: Served as the primary liaison between American Airlines and the production agency, ensuring the final video aligned with brand and business objectives.
Challenges & Considerations:
Accurate Representation: Ensuring that the storytelling authentically reflected the significance of the all-Black female crew while celebrating the broader impact of Bessie Coleman’s legacy.
Balancing Story & Brand Messaging: Crafting a video that emotionally connected with audiences while aligning with American Airlines’ corporate DEI goals.
Capturing the Event’s Energy: The challenge of distilling such a momentous occasion into a concise and impactful video that resonated across internal and external audiences.
Outcome & Impact:
Inspirational Storytelling – Delivered a powerful, moving recap that celebrated Bessie Coleman’s achievements and the trailblazing all-Black female flight crew.
Audience Engagement: Strengthened American Airlines’ brand image as a leader in promoting diversity and inclusion, fostering internal and external conversation around representation in aviation.
Legacy Building: Highlighted American Airlines’ commitment to honoring pioneers in aviation and inspiring the next generation of women and minority aviators.