Storming the Heavens: African Americans and the Early Fight for the Right to Fly

Focusing on the historical struggle of African-Americans in aviation, the book explores the lives of pioneers like Bessie Coleman and John Robinson. Coleman defied racial barriers by training in Paris during World War I, while Robinson became a prominent pilot in 1930s Ethiopia, serving as the personal pilot to Emperor Haile Selassie and contributing to the establishment of Ethiopian Airways. Gerald Horne delves into these narratives, providing essential context to the achievements of African-American women in aerospace during the Jim Crow era, as depicted in the film Hidden Figures.