These short biographies in the Great Women in Aviation Series tell the stories of notable women pilots whose passion for flight inspires young and old alike to take to the skies. This 2,100 word monograph is not meant to be a comprehensive history of Willa Brown’s life, but it discusses her involvement in aviation, and the positive message she conveys. The main purpose of this biography is to inspire youth to follow their dreams of flight. This will make an excellent source for a research report or other paper.
A decade after Bessie Coleman, the first licensed black pilot in the U.S. died in a tragic accident, another black woman would gain a notable a position in aviation. That woman was Willa Brown. Aviator, politician, educator and activist, Will Brown drew strength and inspiration from the life work of her courageous predecessor, Bessie Coleman. She was not the flamboyant barnstorming pilot that Bessie Coleman was, but her impact on aviation was even more significant. Up until 1942, the U. S. armed forces did not allow African-American men or women to become pilots. In an era harsh for both women and African Americans, she dared to challenge societal mores
