2025S0133-1 02/25/25
By: West S.R. No. 189
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
join the National Aviation Education Center and the
Commemorative Air Force in recognizing 125 years of Black
aviation history; and
WHEREAS, Black innovators and aviators overcame seemingly
insurmountable barriers during the Jim Crow era to help lay the
foundation for modern advanced aviation, yet their contributions
to the field have been largely overlooked and underappreciated;
and
WHEREAS, This storied history can be traced back to 1899,
when John Frederick Pickering of Haiti applied for an aviation
patent for his flight machine, and he was awarded United States
Patent Number 643,975 on February 20, 1900; Charles Frederick
Page, a former slave of Pineville, Louisiana, also applied for an
aviation patent for his invention in 1903, and he was awarded
United States Patent Number 817,442 on April 10, 1906; both of
these men's original innovations were designed and tested before
the Wright brothers made their famous first flight; and
WHEREAS, Black pilots continued breaking barriers in the
early 1900s, and during World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen
garnered public attention as the nation's first Black military
pilot group; these extraordinary servicemen persevered amid
discriminatory policies and prejudice to protect the nation with
exceptional skill and bravery in aerial combat, and their
achievements established the groundwork for racial integration
of the United States Armed Forces and the civil rights movement;
and
WHEREAS, On February 21 and 22, 2025, guests gathered at
the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center to honor
the positive impact and enduring legacy of Black trailblazers in
the field of aviation as part of the center's Black History Month
celebration; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th
Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the pioneering Black men who
helped to shape modern aeronautics and join all in celebrating
125 years of Black aviation history; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in
honor of this special occasion.