Brown, Willa Beatrice

1906-1992 · Contribution: 1937-1942

Transportation

First African American woman to earn a commercial pilot's license in the United States; trained roughly 200 future Tuskegee Airmen

Transportation: collage image
Transportation

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Quick facts

Born
1906-1992
Active since
1937-1942
Category
Transportation

Impact on the world

Brown broke barriers of both race and gender in aviation and then built the training pipeline and political pressure that helped create the Tuskegee Airmen.

An alternative history

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Sources

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    The National WWII Museum

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