美国名人 首位黑人女飞行员 贝丝柯尔曼.docx

美国名人首位黑人女飞行员贝丝柯尔曼BessieColemanWastheFirstAfrican-AmericanFemalePilotplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:18repeatByVivianChakarian2005-10-22(MUSIC)VOICEONE:mFaithLapidus.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmberwithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.TodaywetellaboutBessieColeman,thefirstAfricanAmericanwomanpilot.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:BessieColemanwasborninAtlanta,Texas,intheeighteenninety-two.HermotherwasAfricanAmerican.HerfatherwaspartAfricanAmericanandpartAmericanIndian.Herfamilywaspoor.Bessiehadtowalkmorethansixkilometerstogotoschool.Whenshewasnineyearsold,herfatherleftthefamilytosearchinOklahomafortheterritoryofhisIndianancestors.InTexasthen,asinmostareasoftheAmericanSouth,blackpeopleweretreatedunfairly.Theylivedseparatelyfromwhitepeopleandestablishedtheirownreligious,businessandsocialtraditions.Bessiewasproudofherrace.Shelearnedthatfromherhard-workingandreligiousmother.VOICETWO:Bessiehadtopickcottonandwashclothestohelpearnmoneyforherfamily.ShewasabletosavealittlemoneyandwenttocollegeinthestateofOklahoma.Shewasincollegeonlyoneyear.Shehadtoleavebecauseshedidnothaveenoughmoneytocompleteherstudies.Butduringthatyear,shelearnedaboutflying.ShereadaboutthefirstflightoftheWrightBrothersandthefirstAmericanfemalepilot,HarrietQuimby.Bessieoftenthoughtaboutwhatitwouldfeelliketoflylikeabird.VOICEONE:Whenshewastwenty-three,BessieColemanmovedtoChicago,Illinoistolivewithtwoofherolderbrothers.There,sheworkedatseveraljobs.Butshewantedtodosomethingmoreimportant.SheheardstoriesfrompilotswhowerereturningfromWorldWarOne.Shedecidedshewasgoingtolearnhowtoflyairplanes.Shesoonfoundthistobealmostimpossible.Whatflightschoolwouldadmitablackwoman?ShefoundthatapparentlytherewerenoneintheUnitedStates.BessielearnedthatshewouldhaveabetterchanceinEurope.ShebegantostudyFrenchatalanguageschoolinChicago.Shealsotookahigher-payingjobsupervisingapubliceatingplacesoshecouldsavemoney.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:SoonaftertheendofWorldWarOne,BessieColemanleftforFrance.Sheattendedthefamousflightschool,Ecoled'AviationdesFreresCaudron,inthetownofLeCrotoyinnorthernFrance.Shelearnedtoflyinaplanethathadtwosetsofwings,oneovertheother.Shecompletedsevenmonthsofflighttraining.Colemanearnedherinternationalpermittoflyinnineteentwenty-onefromtheFederationAeronautiqueInternationaleinFrance.Shebecamethefirstblackwomanevertoearnaninternationalpilot'slicense.VOICEONE:ColemanreturnedtoChicago.ShewastheonlyblackfemalepilotintheUnitedStates.SoherstorybecamepopularinAfricanAmericannewspapers.ShewasaskedbytheDallasExpressnewspaperinTexaswhyshewantedtofly.Shesaidthatwomenandblacksmusthavepilotsiftheyaretokeepupwiththetimes.Sheadded:"Doyouknowyouhaveneverliveduntilyouhaveflown."Colemansoonlearnedthatitwasdifficultforanyonetoearnenoughmoneyasapilottolive.Sheknewshewouldhavetoimproveherflyingskillsandlearntodomoretricksintheairifshewantedtosucceed.TherestillwasnoonewillingtoteachherinChicago.SozshereturnedtoEuropeinnineteentwenty-two.ShecompletedaboutfourmoremonthsofflighttrainingwithFrenchandGermanpilots.VOICETWO:ColemanreturnedtoNewYorkwhereshegaveherfirstpublicflyingperformanceintheUnitedStates.Alargecrowdofpeoplegatheredtowatchher.Sherolledtheplane.Andshestoppedtheengineandthenstarteditagainjustbeforetheplanelanded.Thecrowdlovedherperformance.Sodidothercrowdsassheperformedintownsandcitiesacrossthecountry.BessieColemanhadprovedshecouldfly.Yetshewantedtodomore.ShehopedtoestablishaschoolforblackpilotsintheUnitedStates.Sheknewsheneededaplaneofherown.ShetraveledtoLosAngeles,California,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.Theormercottonpickerandbeautytechniciannowwastheonlylicensedblackwomanpilotintheworld.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-sixzColemanwaspreparingforanairshowinwhichshewouldstar.SheagreedtomaketheflightwithWilliamWills.Heflewtheplanesoshecouldclearlyseethefieldshewouldflyover.Shedidnotuseanysafetydevices,suchasaseatbeltorparachute.Theywouldhavepreventedherfromleaningovertoseeallofthefield.Duringtheflight,theplane'scontrolsbecamestuck.Theplaneturnedoverintheair.NothingwasholdingColemanin.Shefellmorethanakilometertoherdeath.Willshadwornaseatbelt.Buthealsodiedwhentheplanecrashed.Officialslaterfoundthecauseoftheaccident.Atoolhadslidintothecontrolsoftheplane.ExpertssaidthattheaccidentwouldnothavehappenedifWillsandColemanhadbeenflyinganewerandsaferplane.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Throughoutherlife,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.