Black History Month in Aviation
Men and women recognized as leaders
PANYNJ Huntey Lawrence shares his thoughts on Black History Month
AIRPORT VOICE, FEBRUARY 2021 17
BY JEFF YAPALATER
Airport Voice had the opportunity
to ask Port Authority
Aviation Director
questions about his youth,
education at August Martin
High School and his words
of Black History and leadership.
Q:Did you have an interest
in aviation as a youth?
A:I grew up in East Elmhurst
which is near LGA
Airport. I was exposed to
Aviation at PS 127 in Queens
and while many kids were
focused on careers in music
and public service, my
friends and I developed a
strong interest in an aviation
career.
Q: How did you choose
August Martin High
School located close to
JFK Airport?
A: Two reasons: August
Martin had a program called
AMIST, August Martin Institute
of Science and Technology
which was a rigorous
program for 75 students
across the city. The program
featured advanced science
and math courses including
physics and AP Calculus and
some outstanding teachers.
August Martin also had a
strong flight program where
students could attend an
FAA approved ground school
program and receive flight
training.
Q-What inspiration did
you get from his experience
at AMHS aviation?
A:August Martin, who
the high school is named
after, was a former Tuskegee
airman and airline pilot
who became the first African
American to attain the rank
of captain at a commercial
airline. His career journey
including his focus on humanitarian
causes was very
inspiring.
Q:Any other Black mentors
from the area that
were influential?
My mentors were my
mom and dad. Their constant
focus on aspiring to be the
best at anything you do, being
humble, kind and considerate
were influential
Q-What words of Black
History and leadership
does he have for the workers
at the airport and their
dreams?
A: Black history in America
encompasses many different
experiences and we
need to recognize that our individual
experiences in the
US vary within our community
and versus other communities.
Black Americans
have made significant contributions
to every segment
of society. We need to be respected
and valued as individuals,
treated fairly and
given a chance to reach our
potential.
On leadership-Be the best
at what you do, treat everyone
with respect at our airports
and continue the great
work that many of you are
doing.
The Port Authority in
partnership with our airline
partners and terminals operators
are dramatically improving
the experience at our
airports. 0We are committed
to being “ A World Class Operator
of World Class Airports”.
We are building new,
world class facilities, providing
best in class employee
training, and focused on improving
the customer and
employee experience.
I ask all airport workers
to join me in helping to improve
the customer experience
at our airports.
August Martin
Capt. August "Augie"
Martin was the
first black airline pilot
in the United States.
He learned to fly in the
Civilian Pilot Training
Program at the University
of California and
received his instructor's
rating in 1942. He
then worked as a flight
instructor in the Navy
V 12 program at Cornell
University.In 1943,
he joined the Army
Air Corps, and went
through flight training
at Tuskeegee, Ala.
He then went on to fly
B 25s. He was hired by
Seaboard World and
flew out of Idlewild
(JFK) in the 50's & 60's.
in 1955. On July 1, 1968,
he died in an accident
flying a Lockheed L
1049G Super Constellation
on a mercy mission
to Biafra. His second wife,
Gladys Frank Martin (neé Riddle),
to whom he had been married for
just over one year, died with him in
the crash. The August Martin High
School in South Jamaica, N.Y. is
named after him. 1980, the U.S. Department
of Transportation/Federal
Aviation Administration published
the August Martin Activities
Book, a 20-page book for minority
children. It was reprinted in 1993.
Bessie Coleman
Bessie Coleman, Hailing from
both African American and Native
American descent, Bessie Coleman
(1892-1926) was the first African
Aerican female to earn her pilot license.
But because there were no
aeronautical facilities that would
teach minority women to fly in
America, Coleman had to earn her
license from the Fédération Aéronautique
Internationale on June
15, 1921, and was the first black
person to earn an international pilot's
license. Returned to the United
States, where racial and gender
biases precluded her becoming a
commercial pilot. Stunt flying, or
barnstorming, was her only career
option where she became a star of
early aviation exhibitions and air
shows. She opened a flight school
saying “ I decided blacks should not
have to experience the difficulties I
had faced, so I decided to open a flying
school and teach black women
to fly.” Another of her quotes was,
“the Air is the only place free from
prejudice