*BLACK HISTORY MONTH* BESSIE COLEMAN

NAME: Elizabeth (Bessie) Coleman
DATE OF BIRTH: January 26, 1892. -- There is confusion about her birthdate because when Bessie became well-known, she claimed to be about four years younger, saying she was born in 1896.
PLACE OF BIRTH: Atlanta, Texas
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Bessie was the tenth of thirteen children born to Susan and George Coleman. Her father was one-quarter African-American and three-quarters Choctaw and Cherokee Indian. Her mother was African-American. When she was two years old, her family settled in Waxahachie, Texas, and ran a cotton-picking business. In 1901, frustrated by the racial intolerance and barriers, her father went back to Indian Territory (Oklahoma); his wife and children opted not to go with him. Bessie's older brothers struck out on their own, leaving Susan with four daughters under the age of nine. She found work as a cook and housekeeper while Bessie took care of her sisters and the house. READ FULL ARTICLE