*Dunbar Vocational High School on the South Side of Chicago is now offering a aviation training program for free, after one local resident was inspired by pioneering Black American pilot Bessie Coleman.
Aircraft mechanic Umberto Ricco is the mastermind behind the program, and as wttw.com reports, Dunbar was one of several city high schools that offered an aircraft mechanics track from the 1950s into the ‘90s.
When Ricco read about this history and contributions of Black pilots in his hometown, he felt called to action. The program at Dunbar was created and run by Cornelius Coffey, considered one of the most influential Black aviators of all time, the report states.
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Via WTTW:
In the 1930s, most schools that trained pilots and aircraft mechanics were closed to African Americans, so Coffey created the Coffey School of Aeronautics, which he ran with his wife Willa Brown and John Robinson. They also founded the National Airmen Association to promote the idea of African Americans being trained as fighter pilots in World War II.Â
Ricco took all the information he learned about Black pilots and aviation in Chicao and created a traveling museum which he takes across the city to educate others.
Peep the clip below.
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