David Harris, a trailblazer, became the first African-American pilot for a commercial airline when American Airlines hired him in 1964. Hence, the story of how he broke the colour barrier in the clouds became the subject of the young adult book Segregated Skies by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Cottman.
According to npr.org, David Harris grew up visiting Lockbourne Air Force Base with his brother.
He’s recorded to state: “My brother and I would run around the base and enjoy the facility and never pay any attention to the fact that all the people on the base were Black.”
Many of the officers and workers on that base would have made excellent pilots, had commercial airlines given them the chance.
The article shares that although “President Truman desegregated the armed forces in 1948, racism within the airline industry persisted.” Through his perseverance, however, Harris soon “became a captain in the U.S. Air Force flying B-52 bombers. After six and a half years in the military, he applied to be a pilot at several commercial airlines.”
Harris applied to many airlines but was rejected most times. It wasn’t until Harris reached out to American Airlines that he was considered a serious candidate.
NPR’s report states that “within three years, Harris was a captain with the company.”
His story is often overlooked, but it certainly is not forgotten. In his own words, Harris quotes: “Reaching back and helping others to succeed, that’s what I’d like for my legacy to be.”
David Harris died on February 6, 2023, in Marietta, Georgia. He was 89. American Airlines announced his passing.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Capt. David E. Harris, a trailblazer in aviation,” wrote American Airlines CEO Robert Isom in a statement, “Capt. Harris opened the doors and inspired countless Black pilots to pursue their dreams to fly.”
Harris first got hooked on airplanes as a kid growing up in Columbus, Ohio. He and his brother would visit Lockbourne Air Force Base, where the decorated Tuskegee Airmen were stationed after World War II.
