David Harris

[derg]

We’ve lost a great pioneer in commercial aviation and civil rights. Captain David Harris was America’s first black pilot for a major airline, being hired by American Airlines in 1964.

Its not that there weren’t qualified military and civilian African American pilots, it was a dark era in our nation where the goal of becoming a pilot for a major airline simply wasn’t possible if your skin was the wrong color.

He was a pioneer for us all. Everyone.

Rest in peace, friend. Thank you.

You will not be forgotten.

If JC or I have helped you in any form, it was only possible because he was able to break that barrier.

 

[ahw01]

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/18/1080731249/segregated-skies-tells-the-story-of-the-first-black-pilot-for-a-commercial-airli

 

[Pilot Fighter]

That would be a good book.

 

[N826AW]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCJwztReQlk

 

[Soul Brotha']

That’s the coldest pic in front of an airplane ever. Thank you from all of us Captain.

 

[form810]

View attachment 76890

We’ve lost a great pioneer in commercial aviation and civil rights. Captain David Harris was America’s first black pilot for a major airline, being hired by American Airlines in 1964.

Its not that there weren’t qualified military and civilian African American pilots, it was a dark era in our nation where the goal of becoming a pilot for a major airline simply wasn’t possible if your skin was the wrong color.

He was a pioneer for us all. Everyone.

Rest in peace, friend. Thank you.

You will not be forgotten.

If JC or I have helped you in any form, it was only possible because he was able to break that barrier.

We might do well to recognize that others and some of our, er, "deepstate" institutions were involved in allowing Captain Harris to claim his civil rights. Most significantly, the United States Military after initially denying him was pushed hard by lots and lots of enlightened racial-majority types such that, eventually, the US Military allowed Captain Harris and many others like him who met (or surpassed) the standards to claim their constitutionally guaranteed rights as, you know, Americans. We have always progressed in America. It's been tough. It's been slower than it ought to have been. But we have always moved forward, towards better. Let's not, right now, this year, slip backward into an irrecoverable state of decline.

 

[FlyinSol0]

That would be a good book.

Have a look

Amazon.com

 

[Screaming_Emu]

I can’t imagine the struggle of being a pioneer in a situation like this. How many years later and we still have bigots voicing their insecurity driven opinions, I can’t imagine how much harder it was when it was “ok” to say these things out loud.

 

[A300Capt]

Have a look

Amazon.com

Thanks…downloaded it to Kindle. Looks like a fascinating story! A full airline career is hard enough without having to endure what Capt Harris must have on top of everything else..
Didn’t even know AA had flown BAC-111’s?

 

[invadertim]

Ok, figure the odds, I am in London, today March 10th 2024. I'm in the London science museum, with my Daughter on her spring break. I sit down for a moment and read this thread. Then I get up and check out the flight gallery. Capt Harris is here..

 

[invadertim]

The rest of the museum is pretty ok too...

 

[mwflyer]

I can’t imagine the struggle of being a pioneer in a situation like this. How many years later and we still have bigots voicing their insecurity driven opinions, I can’t imagine how much harder it was when it was “ok” to say these things out loud.

It’s becoming ok again.

 

[derg]

It’s becoming ok again.

Eeeeeyup.

Not without a fight. We keep receipts.

 

[JordanD]

It’s becoming ok again.

I genuinely hope the culture in the US (or the world) recovers from the “it’s cool and acceptable to be an •” thing that’s become more common in the last 8 years, but I’m not encouraged we’ll ever shake that off.

 

[Roger Roger]

I genuinely hope the culture in the US (or the world) recovers from the “it’s cool and acceptable to be an •” thing that’s become more common in the last 8 years, but I’m not encouraged we’ll ever shake that off.

The same people most likely to be jerks just for the fun of it are also most likely to whine and cry about how impolite society has become.

 

[KLB]

That would be a good book.

 

[A300Capt]

Another good read…

Amazon.com

View: https://youtu.be/x0s_V5FF0uY?si=nazTROXi3AeTzINa