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American Employee Group Hosts First
African-American Female Pilot At C.R. Smith
Museum |
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January 31, 2017
- American Airlines is celebrating Black History
Month with numerous events and initiatives
throughout February, including showcasing
African-American aviation pioneers.
On Saturday, February 18, the African American
Diversity Network Employee Business Resource
Group (AADN) will host Hidden Figures in
Aviation, Celebrating 111 Years of Blacks in
Aviation at the American Airlines C.R. Smith
Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.
The event features Brenda Robinson, the first
African-American female pilot for both the
United States Navy and American Airlines; former
NASA aerospace engineer Wesley Ratcliff; and
Joylette Hylick, daughter of Katherine Johnson,
former NASA mathematician and the subject of the
recently released feature film Hidden Figures.
Together, the three will discuss their
experiences, which helped pave the way for
African-Americans in the aviation industry.
"We place a high priority on our inclusion and
diversity initiatives, which positively impact
our more than 100,000 team members, our
customers and the many communities we serve,"
said Danielle Kirgan, American's senior vice
president – People.
"We believe increasing the awareness of these
historical milestones is an important step in
furthering our own internal diversity efforts." |
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American is proud to bring
attention to and support the preservation of
important African-American educators, musicians,
politicians, scientists and more through The
History Makers project. For the past 18 years,
the project has worked to honor the histories of
more than 4,000 African-Americans. These works
are now housed in the Library of Congress,
providing future generations a first-hand look
into the lives of many who have helped shape our
nation.
The February issue of American Way, American's
award-winning in-flight magazine, will include
an "In Their Own Words" story featuring flight
service training manager Onna Williams. The
article highlights her experience at the first
high school built for African American students
west of the Mississippi River.
Additionally, AADN will host a series of
employee events in February to include hosting a
Black Business Expo at American’s headquarters,
visiting the National Museum of African American
History and Culture, recognizing contributions
of African-Americans in science, space and
aviation, in addition to various events
celebrating African-American culture and
business. |
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