28 Best Bessie Coleman Quotes to Empower You to Fly

Bessie Coleman was the first African-American and Native-American woman to hold a pilot’s license.

Born in a discriminatory environment in Atlanta, Texas, she faced many adversities. Schools she attended lacked basic resources.

In pursuit of her dream to fly, Coleman faced racial and gender barriers in the U.S., which forced her to go to France for her aviation training.

With determination, she learned French, secured funds and began her training, earning her pilot’s license in seven months.

Bessie Coleman

Upon her return to the U.S., she became a celebrated figure, performing in numerous air shows and advocating for African American rights.

Tragically, Coleman died in a 1926 plane accident. Her legacy, celebrated through clubs and honors, continues to inspire countless individuals with her spirit of adventure and determination.

I have listed the best quotes of Bessie Coleman in this blog post.


Best Bessie Coleman Quotes

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As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot. ~ Bessie Coleman.

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I don’t know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot. ~ Bessie Coleman.

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Ah, women. They make the highs higher and the lows more frequent. ~ Bessie Coleman.

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Tell them that as soon as I can walk, I am going to fly! ~ Bessie Coleman.

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The only source of knowledge is experience. ~ Bessie Coleman.

If I can create a minimum of my plans and desires, there shall be no regrets. ~ Bessie Coleman.

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You’ve never lived till you’ve flown. ~ Bessie Coleman.

I thought it my duty to risk my life to learn aviation and to encourage flying among men and women of our race, who are so far behind the white race in this modern study. ~ Bessie Coleman.

Top Bessie Coleman Quotes

I knew we had no aviators, neither men nor women, and I knew the race needed to be represented along this most important line. ~ Bessie Coleman.

I decided blacks should not have to experience the difficulties I had faced, so I decided to open a flying school and teach other black women to fly. ~ Bessie Coleman.

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Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards. ~ Bessie Coleman.

The air is the only place to be free from prejudices. ~ Bessie Coleman.

I made my mind up to try. I tried and was successful. ~ Bessie Coleman.

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Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes. ~ Bessie Coleman.

The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles. ~ Bessie Coleman.

Famous Bessie Coleman Quotes

I refused to take no for an answer. ~ Bessie Coleman.

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A woman is like a teabag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put Her in hot water. ~ Bessie Coleman.

Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn. ~ Bessie Coleman.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way. ~ Bessie Coleman.

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The age of a woman doesn’t mean a thing. ~ Bessie Coleman.

The air is the only place free from prejudice. ~ Bessie Coleman.


Quotes About Bessie Coleman

Bessie would only perform if the crowds were desegregated and entered thru the same gates. ~ The National Aviation Hall of Fame.

Queen Bess, the World’s Greatest Woman Flier. ~ Unknown*

About 10,000 mourners paid their last respects to the first African American woman aviator, filing past her coffin in Chicago South’s Side. ~ PBS.

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She was a modern woman in a not so modern world. ~ BessieColeman.org.

It was soldiers returning from World War I with wild tales of flying exploits who first interested Coleman in aviation. She was also spurred on by her brother, who taunted her with claims that French women were superior to African American women because they could fly. ~ PBS.

Because she was born with a drive to better herself, Coleman was an avid reader. Her mother ensured that the Coleman children made good use of the traveling library that came through two or three times a year. ~ BessieColeman.org.

Fulfilling her dream sparked a revolution and led the way for new generations of dreamers and future aviation legends. ~ The National Aviation Hall of Fame.


* Do you know about the origin of this quote? Kindly let us know by sending an email to [email protected].

So these were the 28 top Bessie Coleman quotes and sayings.

If you like these quotes and sayings, then you can also read my other posts on Stacey Abrams quotes and Mahmoud Darwish quotes.

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Chandan Negi
Chandan Negi

I’m the Founder of Internet Pillar - I love sharing quotes and motivational content to inspire and motivate people - #quotes #motivation #internetpillar