Bessie Coleman was an American civil aviator. She was the first woman of African-American descent, and the first of Native American descent, to hold a pilot license. Coleman developed an early interest in flying, but African Americans, Native Americans, and women had no flight-school opportunities in the United States, so she saved up money to go to France to become a licensed pilot. She soon became a successful air show pilot in the United States, and hoped to start a school for African-American fliers. As a professional aviatrix, Coleman would often be criticized by the press for her opportunistic nature and the flamboyant style she brought to her exhibition flying. However, she also quickly gained a reputation as a skilled and daring pilot who would stop at nothing to complete a difficult stunt. She died in a plane crash in 1926 while testing her new aircraft. Her pioneering role was an inspiration to early pilots and to the African-American and Native American communities.
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Mamie Smith was an American vaudeville singer, dancer, pianist, and actress who revolutionized the genre of blues music through her success as a black woman. Smith began to work as a dancer at age 10, and when she was a teenager she danced in Salem Tutt Whitney's Smart Set. Then, when she was 30 years old, she moved to Harlem to become a club singer. In 1920, Smith made the first recording by a black blues singer, but the musicians were still all white. The company received threats of boycotting because of this, but that didn't stop Smith and her songs from becoming commercial successes. However, it was her song "Crazy Blues" that really shook the music world. It is widely considered to be the first blues song on record, and after selling 75,000 copies within the first months of its release, "Crazy Blues" inspired an array of other recording companies to sign on black female blues singers. Thus began the emergence of black women in the music world, creating songs and records that were popularized and purchased by black and white consumers alike.
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