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The Life and Legacy of Bessie Coleman
Disclaimer: This article is based on Bessie Coleman for educational purposes. The information about this topic is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge, but there may be omissions. I am not a qualified historian or teacher and should remind readers to read at their own risk. I reserve the right to change how I run and manage this blog and may change focus at any time.
Bessie Coleman wears her pilot uniform. A photo from the Everett Collection in Canva. This is an inspirational story featuring Bessie Coleman, a black Native American pilot who broke the racial and gender barriers by achieving her goal of becoming the first black female pilot in 1921 in France. It has been 102 years since she received her licence and influenced black people to kickstart their careers in aviation.
Who is Bessie Coleman?
Bessie Coleman was born and raised in Texas on the 26th January, 1892 and grew up in a large family. Coleman was a bright student who excelled in Maths and helped her mother pick cotton since her parents were sharecroppers and washed laundry to earn income.
She studied at the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University (now Langston) but she had to leave because of financial difficulties.
What did Bessie Coleman do for a living?
When she was 23, she moved to Chicago to live with her older brother and secured a job as a manicurist at a barbershop after completing her education at the Burnham School of Beauty Culture.
While she was working, her brother John Coleman came into the barbershop, who wasn’t fully sober teased her saying that French women were more liberated and were allowed to fly aeroplanes and he was right. It was in the barbershop that she decided to become a pilot.
How did she become a renowned pilot?
While living in Chicago, she made connections and befriended prominent black entrepreneurs such as Richard Abbott, a businessman and publisher of the Chicago Defender newspaper. Also, Jesse Binga, an entrepreneur who owned a bank and both businessmen played an essential role in ensuring she achieved her goal.
She applied for aviation schools in the USA and got rejected because of her race and gender, however, that didn’t stop her from learning how to fly.
It was Mr.Abbott who suggested that she should apply for a flight school in France since they were “less sexist and racist” and were more accepting of teaching and training French women to become pilots.
In the meantime, she applied for schools in France, switched jobs to become the manager of a restaurant to save money and took French lessons that were paid for by Jesse Binga.
A flight school called the Caudron Brothers School of Aviation in Le Crotoy in France accepted her application and she left in November 1920. She spent 7 months training as a pilot and was awarded the international licence by the Federation Aero Nautique Internationale in June 1921.
The air is the only place free from prejudices
-Bessie ColemanWhat happened after she became a pilot?
When she returned to America, she became a celebrity in the black community and became a stunt pilot. She returned to Europe to gain more experience and visited countries such as France, Netherlands and Germany before returning to America.
It was during this time that she became known as Queen Bess and became famous for barnstorming such as looping the loops and parachuting off the plane. Also, she toured the country and gave lectures to the black community.
How did she die?
She was rehearsing for an airshow in Florida and took her last flight with a mechanic called William Wills who was flying the Aeroplane.
According to the Independent, she was preparing to parachute off the plane when a wrench got caught in the engine and she was thrown out of the plane and didn’t survive the fall.
The mechanic didn’t survive the crash either as he lost control of the plane. She was only 34 years old and her ambition was to open a flight school so that black people could take flight lessons.
Over 5,000 people attended her funeral as they paid their last respects to the pioneering pilot. It was the journalist and activist Ida B. Wells who delivered her eulogy at the funeral.
Remembering Bessie Coleman
In 1929, William J. Powell, a black pilot started a flight school and called it Bessie Coleman Aviators Club in her honour. In 1977, black women started an aviation organisation called Bessie Coleman Aviators. It is important to not let race get in the way of your ambition.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article because I read a book about her and even though I have heard of her, I was inspired by her story and that she was passionate and determined to achieve her goals.
Let me know what you think of the blog post in the comments below, I appreciate the feedback and want to make sure that the content is intriguing. Don’t forget to share this blog post with other black women who are fascinated by black history and thank you for reading.
Reference
eBook: Bessie Coleman- First Female African-American and Native American Pilot by Cathleen Small.
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The Hidden Battle: Exploring Imposter Syndrome in Black Women
Disclaimer: This information is to be read for educational purposes. I am not a mental health professional or a psychologist specialising in imposter syndrome.
A photo of a black woman wearing a white top with looking sad with her hand on her forehead. Photo by Dragan991 of Getty Images from Canva. What is Imposter Syndrome
According to Psych Central, imposter syndrome is when you are doubting yourself and your skills because you feel inadequate and not confident in your capabilities. Psychologists Dr Imes and Dr Clance coined the term imposter syndrome in 1978 based on a study that involved mostly white women from middle to upper-class backgrounds.
These women held senior positions in companies and included medical and college students from different universities, and what they discovered was that these participants had self-doubt and felt inadequate and thought that they tricked people into thinking that they were capable of their roles.
A photo of a black woman with shaved hair looking worried with self-doubt. What are the causes?
Family and Upbringing
Parents can put pressure on their children to achieve high grades especially if they are from an African household where education is highly important. While education is essential, placing a lot of pressure on children can affect mental health which isn’t always considered.
And this can manifest into anxiety and fear as a result of setting high standards. An example of this is when I failed two subjects which were sociology and English Language when I studied for my A-levels at Bury College.
On top of that, I remember going to college with my Mum and discussing the next steps with English teachers. I ended up dropping Sociology and keeping English because I preferred English Language.
As soon as I got home, I had a headache and I remember my Dad telling me to aim for high grades. I took that speech and started to put pressure on myself which manifested into becoming a perfectionist at university.
Personality
There are certain traits that some people have that make them a perfectionist. This could be linked towards people who identify themselves as introverts. This trait can lead to stress due to overworking and overpreparing content, which can lead to tiredness.
Photo of a self-note Don’t Doubt Yourself by Marian Marganingsih from Getty Images on Canva. How does Self-Doubt relate to feeling like an imposter?
Self-doubt is when someone doubts themselves and their skills. It involves doubting yourself based on negative experiences, situations and different aspects of life.
Also, self-doubt is the main factor behind the feeling of imposter syndrome because you don’t have the confidence to carry out tasks that can help you progress to your next goal.
Statistics of Imposter Syndrome
A study in the Independent revealed that around 4,000 people have experienced this type of self-doubt. 53% of women have experienced imposter syndrome and 72% of women are more likely to have imposter experience at work.
In comparison, 63% of men are also at a higher risk of having imposter syndrome at work. Although this research shows women are more likely to experience imposter syndrome at work. Unfortunately, it doesn’t mention the percentage of black women who also have this form of self-doubt because there are reasons such as microaggressions and being underrepresented at work which can lead to feeling inadequate.
What’s it really like to have imposter syndrome?
The negative thoughts are influenced by an inner critic (it’s like having someone in your head telling you that you can’t do something, spreading doubt into your mind that leads to low confidence). Here are the reasons why imposter syndrome is detrimental:
- It can hinder your growth as an individual, as a content creator
- And this could even lead to past, negative experiences that have already happened that can affect this feeling of incompetence.
- Makes you feel frustrated even though you are aware of your skills and achievements a strong inner critic is reminding you why shouldn’t be doing these things.
- You will overthink things and think about the things that could go wrong.
What are limiting beliefs?
Photo of a handwriting with a cup of coffee. Photo by Marekuliasz from Getty Images on Canva. Some people who have imposter syndrome experience different emotions such as fear, guilt and frustration that can reinforce their limiting beliefs. According to the Happier Human blog, limiting beliefs is a “state of mind or thoughts that you believe are true. “
Here are some examples that I went through during my long hiatus of blogging:
- I’m not a good blogger because I don’t have experience creating content for businesses.
- My writing isn’t good enough or I don’t have any experience in writing so I am going to stop writing.
- I don’t look good on camera and have no idea what to say so I will not record myself.
- I don’t have enough of a large audience so how can I possibly continue blogging?
- My content isn’t good enough so maybe I should stop blogging altogether.
- I wrote 9 blog posts when I first started blogging and eventually, I started becoming demotivated and started to doubt myself. I stopped blogging and didn’t return until this year.
Limiting beliefs relates to imposter syndrome because it is a story based on an experience that keeps you in your comfort zone. This shows how powerful imposter syndrome can be and can get out of control if we don’t tackle it from the beginning.
black woman looking sad with her hand under her chin. Photo by Jessica photos from Getty Images Signature on Canva. The Effects of Imposter Syndrome
The consequences can manifest in traits such as perfectionism, procrastination on tasks, self-doubt and even anxiety.
Feeling like an imposter syndrome is not a mental illness but it can take a toll on you emotionally. Doubting yourself causes you to overthink things and you end up thinking about things that could go wrong instead of doing it.
On top of that, you end up feeling guilty because you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing and it becomes a cycle that is hard to break. And it will take different strategies to overcome it.
When in reality you realise that once you have completed the tasks that were worrying you, you realise that it wasn’t such a big deal.
Perfectionism
Another effect of imposter syndrome is perfectionism. Perfectionism can be detrimental because it doesn’t allow us to think about embracing failures and making errors. It is rooted in always trying to make your work look perfect.
As mentioned by Dr Orbe-Austin, author of Own Your Greatness and a psychologist perfectionism is related to self-doubt because you are always reaching for expectations that are not realistic, not realising that being perfect hurts your creativity, and it will leave you feeling stuck and not go any further.
There is nothing wrong with producing high-quality work, but when someone is a perfectionist it can be exhausting and it involves focusing your energy on setting unrealistic expectations. A perfectionist will aim for their best and when they don’t reach for the goals, they start taking it out on themselves.
An image of an inspirational quote by Marekuliasz from Canva. Signs you may have imposter syndrome
An article by Teachable outlined signs that show a person may be experiencing imposter syndrome. Here are some of the common signs:
- Fear of not living up to people’s expectations
- Setting unrealistic expectations
- Feeling inadequate and don’t believe that you have the skills or experience to create content.
- Sabotaging your success as a result of self-doubt
- Perfectionism
- Low self-confidence
Types of imposters
According to Valerie Young, a renowned expert in imposter syndrome and the author of The Secrets Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from It and How to Thrive in Spite of It. In her research, she identified 5 types of imposters :
The Perfectionist
This person tends to want their work to be perfect, sets unrealistic goals and punishes themselves when they can’t meet their goals or have failed to meet one of the goals. Instead of acknowledging the hard work, they take it out on themselves.
The Soloist
According to Simply Psychology, soloists enjoy working independently and believe they can do things by themselves. They believe that asking for help is a sign of weakness and even though they know they can ask for help, they don’t want people to think that they can’t do things by themselves.
Superhero/heroine
As mentioned by the tilt, this person feels adequate when juggling multiple responsibilities and if they can’t manage various roles then they may start to feel like they are a failure because they are not keeping up with being the superperson and feel like they have tricked people into thinking they are the superhero or heroine.
Expert
This person feels adequate by how much and what they know and need to have the necessary skills and qualifications such as applying for jobs. If they don’t know enough about a topic they can start doubting themselves.
Natural genius
This person tends to learn things at a quicker speed and “they tend to put little effort into the work they are doing” and if it takes longer for them to learn or understand a topic, this can make them feel like a failure.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways to overcome imposter syndrome and this will be discussed in another article which looks at how these strategies can help black women who acknowledge their imposter syndrome and want to overcome it.
It starts with self-compassion, knowing your self-worth, and learning from your upbringing because we know that many things have contributed to our self-doubt that can come from upbringing.
It took me a long time to know that confidence is a powerful belief that can change your life significantly. I know that slowly the belief in myself will become second nature.
Thank you for reading my article I hope this will help black women who have imposter syndrome and recognise that everyone can doubt themselves, it becomes a problem when imposter syndrome affects your mental health.
If you enjoyed reading this article, don’t forget to comment and share. If you have any content ideas that can elevate and educate unapologetic black women, let me know in the comments.
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Understanding Fibroids: What Black Women Need to Know
Disclaimer: I am not a qualified health professional and this is strictly based on experience and this will be used to educate readers. Read with caution.
This is a silent condition because I have noticed that we don’t talk about fibroids in the black community, it is not something that is spoken widely like many things such as mental health.
It is something that needs more attention, particularly for black women. I’m hoping this topic can spark a conversation amongst black women who have this condition.
Also, I was diagnosed with fibroids 2 years ago and it is fairly small (I hope it stays that way until I get rid of them because they shouldn’t be living on my uterus, it’s disrespectful).
What are Fibroids?
According to the NHS, “fibroids are non-cancerous lumps which can grow in various sizes on or around the uterus and it varies from woman to woman.” Some women may experience stronger symptoms of the condition compared to women who may have fibroids but they don’t have any symptoms.
A black woman sitting on the bed with her hands on her stomach feeling stomach cramps. Photo by Prostock studio. Racial Disparities in Health
As mentioned by the Huffington Post, it has been estimated that “25% of black women are more likely to be diagnosed with the condition than 6% of white women. “
Fortunately, this condition is not cancerous, however, black women are more prone to developing fibroids than other races of women.
A study by the University College of London argued that “racism and discrimination contributed the most to the health disparities of melanated people.”
Furthermore, there has been plenty of evidence that has been documented when it comes to the lack of belief that black women require attention.
Similarly, a recent study by the Black Women’s Health Imperative has shown that “80% of black women and 70% of white women could develop fibroids by the time they are 50.” These numbers are of great significance because they indicate the seriousness of fibroids and their need for greater attention.
An example would be the case of gynaecologist Dr Sims who experimented on enslaved black women without anaesthesia during slavery in the USA. This affects the way black women are perceived in the healthcare industry.
What causes Fibroids?
The causes of fibroids remain a mystery, however, there have been various studies that have mentioned different possible causes that may explain why the condition affects black women at a higher rate.
A graphic by Pepermpron of the female anatomy showing the uterus with uterine fibroids. Early Menstruation
According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, if a woman experiences her period early, it may increase the likelihood of developing fibroids. This is interesting because if a woman received her periods early and ended up getting diagnosed with fibroids as an adult.
Race
Similarly, the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology stated that the likelihood of black women “being diagnosed is 2 to 3 times higher” and this is a tremendous figure which shows that race plays a significant role and that black women need to focus more on our reproductive health.
Demographic of fibroids
Another study mentioned family history and how this may have a bigger impact since it affects our reproductive system and our overall health. Family history implies that fibroids may be genetic- if someone in your family has fibroids then this may mean it could be inherited.
Furthermore, this is significant because this factor focuses on genetics and this may make us question whether or not developing fibroids is inherited.
An illustration made by AI on Canva of a black doctor talking to a black patient in a hospital. What are the signs of the condition?
- Heavy periods
- Lower back pain
- Fatigue
- A frequent need to pee
Summary
I hope that this issue will be discussed more widely because this isn’t normal. It is one of the things that is going to make you wonder why some of us have non-cancerous tumours, because as black women we deal with enough things.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and hopefully, this article helped you have a better understanding of the condition. Share this post with other black women, comment below, and let me know your thoughts and experiences about fibroids.
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Healing through storytelling, elevating black millenial women, one mindset shift at a time
