H.Res. 1064

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1064 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1064

Expressing support for the designation of February 16, 2026, as 
``International Black Aviation Professionals Day''.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 12, 2026

Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself and Mrs. McBath) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on 
Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Expressing support for the designation of February 16, 2026, as 
``International Black Aviation Professionals Day''.

Whereas since the birth of aviation, Black Americans have made and continue to 
make significant contributions to flight, space exploration, and the 
aviation industry as a whole despite significant adversity;
Whereas aviation trailblazers like Emory C. Malick, the first licensed Black 
pilot, James H. Banning, the first Black pilot to fly across the United 
States, and Bessie ``Queen'' Coleman, the first licensed Black woman 
pilot, barnstormed through barriers such as racism and sexism to have 
careers in aviation;
Whereas visionaries like William J. Powell, Jr., established the Bessie Coleman 
Flying Club, sponsored the first all-Black American airshow, wrote the 
book entitled ``Black Wings'', produced a documentary film entitled 
``Unemployment, the Negro and Aviation'', and worked tirelessly to 
mobilize Black American youth to pursue careers in aviation;
Whereas Cornelius Coffey, a skilled Black American auto mechanic who dreamed of 
flying, and Willa Brown, the first Black woman to earn both a pilot's 
license and a commercial license and the first Black woman to become an 
officer in the Illinois Civil Air Patrol, organized a group of Black air 
enthusiasts, established training classes and a school of aeronautics, 
and helped promote the 1939 flight of Chauncey Spencer and Dale White 
from Chicago to Washington, DC, to campaign for an end to racial 
segregation in aviation;
Whereas the Tuskegee Army Airfield, after which the Tuskegee Airmen were named, 
became a vital center for Black American servicemen and servicewomen to 
train as mechanics, control tower operators, and pilots of military 
aircrafts, launching the careers of many notable Black aviators, 
including General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., Amelia Jones, Linkwood 
Williams, Lieutenant Colonel Lee A. Archer, Major Charles Hall, 
Brigadier General Charles McGee, and many others;
Whereas the Red Tails of the 99th Fighter Squadron and later the 332d Fighter 
Group known as the Tuskegee Airmen made pioneering contributions to the 
United States war effort during World War II and the subsequent drive to 
end racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces;
Whereas, in 1958, Ruth Carol Taylor became the first Black regional flight 
attendant in the United States;
Whereas, in 1956, Patricia Banks-Edmiston filed, and, in 1960, ultimately won, a 
discrimination case against Capital Airlines, paving the way for her to 
become the first Black commercial flight attendant in the United States;
Whereas these historic firsts opened the skies for Black flight attendants, 
including Joan Dorsey, Diane Hunter, Patricia Grace Murphy, Undra Mays, 
Sheila Nutt, and Margaret Grant;
Whereas Oscar Wayman Holmes was the first Black air traffic controller and 
served as the first Black aircraft pilot and the first Black 
commissioned officer in the Navy, and Eleanor Williams became the first 
Black woman air traffic controller in 1971;
Whereas Black scientists reached the stars through the brilliance and fortitude 
of historically overlooked and unappreciated figures, including 
Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson, whose contributions 
in astrophysics allowed the United States to send people into space;
Whereas Black Americans soared amongst the stars when Guion ``Guy'' Bluford and 
Mae Jemison became the first Black American man and woman, respectively, 
to venture into space;
Whereas former astronaut Charles F. Bolden, Jr., the first Black American to be 
permanently named NASA Administrator, inspired the next generation of 
aviators and innovators;
Whereas the research of Black Americans like physician Vance H. Marchbanks and 
psychophysiologist Patricia Cowings made it safer for astronauts to 
travel to space;
Whereas Black inventors helped revolutionize air and space travel, including 
through the long-distance airplane designed by Charles W. Chappelle, 
contributions by Gladys West to the development of the Global 
Positioning System (GPS), technology created by George Robert Carruthers 
that allowed for photography in space, and the power source created by 
Lonnie Johnson for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 
Galileo mission to Jupiter;
Whereas Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr., the first Black mayor of the City of 
Atlanta, Georgia, is renowned for his diversity and inclusion plan to 
ensure Black business owners had the opportunity to participate in the 
expansion of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport into a 
major transportation hub, ahead of schedule and under budget, all while 
paving the way for minority-owned businesses to support the aviation 
industry through construction, management, and concessions programs at 
airports across the United States;
Whereas, on February 12, 2009, on a flight from Atlanta to Nashville, Captain 
Rachelle Jones Kerr, First Officer Stephanie Grant, and flight 
attendants Robin Rogers and Diana Galloway made history as the first 
all-female, all-Black American flight crew;
Whereas Casey Grant, an author, aviator, and a pioneer as one of the earliest 
Black flight attendants, has made it her mission to honor the legacy and 
contributions of Black pioneers in aviation through her books entitled 
``Stars in the Sky'' and ``Stars and Beyond'' and her efforts to 
introduce a new generation of young Black individuals across the United 
States and in Ghana to the field of aviation;
Whereas organizations including the Organization of Black Aerospace 
Professionals, the Black Aviation Airline Pioneers, the Sisters of the 
Skies, the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars, the Black Flight 
Attendants of America, Inc., the Airport Minority Advisory Council, and 
more continue to preserve the legacy and support the future of Black 
Americans in aviation;
Whereas Black Americans have long served in every aspect of aviation, from 
skycaps who greet travelers arriving at the airport, to ticketing agents 
who ensure travelers' itineraries are in order, to ground crew, 
mechanics, and many others who make the aviation industry safe and 
reliable;
Whereas the Federal Aviation Administration provides opportunities to eligible 
students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in the fields of 
aviation, aeronautics, and science, technology, engineering, and math 
(STEM) through the STEM Aviation and Space Education Program by 
recruiting candidates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
for programs such as the Minority Serving Institutions Intern Program; 
and
Whereas public and private sector efforts to recruit, retain, and support 
talented Black Americans through increased emphasis on intentional 
diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, programs, and commitments 
and investments in programs that expose underrepresented groups to 
careers in aviation will ultimately help diversify the workforce for 
decades to come: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses support for the designation of 
``International Black Aviation Professionals Day'';
(2) encourages the observation of ``International Black 
Aviation Professionals Day'' through recognition and 
celebration of the contributions of Black aviation 
professionals; and
(3) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
calling upon the people of the United States to--
(A) recognize the stories and contributions of 
Black American aviation professionals who broke 
barriers, innovated, and took aviation to greater 
heights;
(B) provide enhanced curriculum in schools, 
libraries, and other places of learning to educate all 
people of the United States with respect to the 
contributions of Black aviation pioneers; and
(C) support greater opportunities for Black 
Americans in all areas of aviation.
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