美国名人首位非洲裔女飞行员贝西克莱门.docx

美国名人首位非洲裔女飞行员贝西克莱门BessieColeman,1892-1926:SheDaredtoDreamandBecametheFirstAfricanAmericanFemalePilotplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:36repeatByVivianChakarian2008-10-18VOICEONE:mFaithLapidus.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmberwithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.TodaywetellaboutBessieColeman,thefirstAfricanAmericanwomanpilot.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:BessieColemanBessieColemanwasborninAtlanta,Texas,ineighteenninety-two.HermotherwasAfricanAmerican.HerfatherwaspartAfricanAmericanandpartAmericanIndian.Herfamilywaspoor.Bessiehadtowalkmorethansixkilometerstogotoschool.Whenshewasnineyearsold,herfatherleftthefamilytosearchinOklahomafortheterritoryofhisIndianancestors.InTexasthen,asinmostareasoftheAmericanSouth,blackpeopleweretreatedunfairly.Theylivedseparatelyfromwhitepeopleandestablishedtheirownreligious,businessandsocialtraditions.Bessiewasproudofherrace.Shelearnedthatfromherhard-workingandreligiousmother.VOICETWO:Bessiehadtopickcottonandwashclothestohelpearnmoneyforherfamily.ShewasabletosavealittlemoneyandwenttocollegeinthestateofOklahoma.Shewasincollegeonlyoneyear.Shehadtoleavebecauseshedidnothaveenoughmoneytocompleteherstudies.Butduringthatyear,shelearnedaboutflying.ShereadaboutthefirstflightoftheWrightBrothersandthefirstAmericanfemalepilot,HarrietQuimby.BessieoftenthoughtaboutwhatitwouldfeelHketoflylikeabird.VOICEONE:Whenshewastwenty-three,BessieColemanmovedtoChicago,Illinoistolivewithtwoofherolderbrothers.There,sheworkedatseveraljobs.Butshewantedtodosomethingmoreimportant.SheheardstoriesfrompilotswhowerereturningfromWorldWarOne.Shedecidedshewasgoingtolearnhowtoflyairplanes.Shesoonfoundthistobealmostimpossible.Whatflightschoolwouldadmitablackwoman?ShefoundthatapparentlytherewerenoneintheUnitedStates.BessielearnedthatshewouldhaveabetterchanceinEurope.ShebegantostudyFrenchatalanguageschoolinChicago.Shealsotookahigher-payingjobsupervisingapubliceatingplacesoshecouldsavemoney.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:SoonaftertheendofWorldWarOne,BessieColemanleftforFrance.Sheattendedthefamousflightschool,Ecoled,AviationdesFreresCaudronzinthetownofLeCrotoyinnorthernFrance.Shelearnedtoflyinaplanethathadtwosetsofwings,oneovertheother.Shecompletedsevenmonthsofflighttraining.Colemanearnedherinternationalpermittoflyinnineteentwenty-onefromtheFederationAeronautiqueInternationaleinFrance.Shebecamethefirstblackwomanevertoearnaninternationalpilot'slicense.VOICEONE:ColemanreturnedtoChicago.ShewastheonlyblackfemalepilotintheUnitedStates.SoherstorybecamepopularinAfricanAmericannewspapers.ShewasaskedbytheDallasExpressnewspaperinTexaswhyshewantedtofly.Shesaidthatwomenandblacksmusthavepilotsiftheyaretokeepupwiththetimes.Sheadded:"Doyouknowyouhaveneverliveduntilyouhaveflown."Colemansoonlearnedthatitwasdifficultforanyonetoearnenoughmoneyasapilottolive.Sheknewshewouldhavetoimproveherflyingskillsandlearntodomoretricksintheairifshewantedtosucceed.TherestillwasnoonewillingtoteachherinChicago.So,shereturnedtoEuropeinnineteentwenty-two.ShecompletedaboutfourmoremonthsofflighttrainingwithFrenchandGermanpilots.VOICETWO:ColemanreturnedtoNewYorkwhereshegaveherfirstpublicflyingperformanceintheUnitedStates.Alargecrowdofpeoplegatheredtowatchher.Sherolledtheplane.Andshestoppedtheengineandthenstarteditagainjustbeforetheplanelanded.Thecrowdlovedherperformance.Sodidothercrowdsassheperformedintownsandcitiesacrossthecountry.BessieColemanhadprovedshecouldfly.Yetshewantedtodomore.ShehopedtoestablishaschoolforblackpilotsintheUnitedStates.Sheknewsheneededaplaneofherown.ShetraveledtoLosAngeleszCalifornia,whereshesoughtthesupportofacompanythatsoldtires.ThecompanyhelpedherbuyaCurtissJN-Fourairplane,commonlycalledaJenny.Inreturn,shewastorepresentthecompanyatpublicevents.VOICEONE:BessieColemanorganizedanairshowinLosAngeles.ButtheJenny'senginestoppedsoonaftertake-off,andtheplanecrashedtotheground.Colemansufferedabrokenlegandotherinjuries.Sheregrettedtheaccidentandfeltshehaddisappointedhersupporters.Shesentamessage:"TellthemallthatassoonasIcanwalkmgoingtofly!"ColemanreturnedtoChicagowhereshecontinuedherplantoopenaflyingschool.Shehadverylittlemoney;nojobandnoplane,yetsheopenedanofficeinChicago.Shesoonfounditwasimpossibletokeeptheofficeopenwithoutmorefinancialsupport.Soshedecidedtoreturntoflying.VOICETWO:Innineteentwenty-five,BessieColemantraveledtoherhomestateofTexas.Theformercottonpickerandbeautytechniciannowwastheonlylicensedblackwomanpilotintheworld.ShecouldspeakFrench.Andshewasaninternationaltraveler.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Toearnmoney,BessieColemangavespeechesandshowedfilmsofherflights.Shedidthisinchurches,theatersandatlocalall-blackpublicschools.Sheorganizedmoreairshows.Shesoonhadenoughmoneytopayforsomeofthecostofaplaneofherown,anotheroldCurtissJenny.ShecontinuedherspeechesandairshowsinthestateofGeorgia,theninFlorida.Shehopedtoearnenoughmoneytoopenherschool.InFlorida,ColemanmetEdwinBeeman,whosefatherwastheheadofahugechewinggumcompany.MisterBeemangaveherthemoneytomakethefinalpaymentonherplaneinDallas.ColemanmadeplanstohaveitflowntoherinJacksonville,Florida.Ayoungwhitepilot,WilliamWills,madethetrip.ButtheoldJennyhadproblems.Willshadtomaketwostopsduringtheshortflighttorepairtheplane.Localpilotswhoexaminedtheplaneweresurprisedhehadbeenabletoflyitsofar.VOICETWO:OnAprilthirtieth,nineteentwenty-six,Colemanwaspreparingforanairshowinwhichshewouldstar.SheagreedtomaketheflightwithWilliamWills.Heflewtheplanesoshecouldclearlyseethefieldshewouldflyover.Shedidnotuseanysafetydevices,suchasaseatbeltorparachute.Theywouldhavepreventedherfromleaningovertoseeallofthefield.Duringtheflight,theplane'scontrolsbecamestuck.Theplaneturnedoverintheair.NothingwasholdingColemanin.Shefellmorethanakilometertoherdeath.Willshadwornaseatbelt.Buthealsodiedwhentheplanecrashed.Officialslaterfoundthecauseoftheaccident.Atoolhadslidintothecontrolsoftheplane.ExpertssaidthattheaccidentwouldnothavehappenedifWillsandColemanhadbeenflyinganewerandsaferplane.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThroughoutherHfe,BessieColemanhadresistedsociety'srestrictionsagainstblacksandwomen.Shebelievedthattheairistheonlyplacewhereeveryoneisfree.Shewantedtoteachotherblackpeopleaboutthatspecialenvironment.Ittooksometimeuntilherwishwasfulfilled.Itwasnotuntilnineteenthirty-ninethatblackstudentswerepermittedtoentercivilianflightschoolsintheUnitedStates.ItwasnotuntiltheSecondWorldWarthatblackmalepilotsweresentintobattle.And,itwasnotuntilnineteeneightythatthefirstblackwomencompletedmilitarypilottrainingintheUnitedStates.VOICETWO:BessieColemandidnotlivetoestablishherownflyingschool.Butshehadsaidthatifshecouldcreatetheminimumofherplansanddesires,shewouldhavenoregrets.Shehadacceptedthedangersofherjobbecauseshelovedflying.Herinfluencecontinuestoday.Innineteenninety-two,theChicagoCityCouncilpassedaresolutionpraisingher.Itsaid:"BessieColemancontinuestoinspireuntoldthousands,evenmillionsofyoungpersonswithhersenseofadventure,herpositiveattitudeandherdeterminationtosucceed."Innineteenthirty-four,LieutenantWilliamPowellwroteabookcalled"BlackWings."Hewrote:"BecauseofBessieColeman,wehaveovercomethatwhichwasmuchworsethanracialbarriers.Wehaveovercomethebarrierswithinourselvesanddaredtodream."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisprogramwaswrittenbyVivianChakarian.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.mFaithLapidus.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekforPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.RelatedArticles