In the dictionary, the word “tenacious” ought to be followed by a photo of Chicagoan Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to earn a pilot’s license.
Coleman, also of Native American descent, moved to Chicago in her early 20s hoping to find and follow her dreams, but she discovered that no pilot training schools would admit her. After hearing that pilot training was open to women in France, Coleman taught herself French and moved to Paris, where her hopes were dashed as the Paris schools were also closed to women.
Most people would have called it quits but not Coleman. She traveled to northern France, where she was able to achieve her dream of earning her pilot’s license in 1921. Having faced so many closed doors, Coleman’s mantra became: “Every ‘no’ takes me closer to a ‘yes.’” Chicago has honored Coleman by naming a road at O’Hare International Airport “Bessie Coleman Drive.”
And now, Coleman is finally getting the national recognition she deserves, as the U.S. Mint releases a new quarter emblazoned with her image as part of its American Women’s Quarter program.
Regrettably, Coleman’s recognition is rare. So many women who have played key roles in American history have been ignored in history books or relegated to supporting roles for men.
We can’t change history, but we can and will change the way history is told. That is the goal of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, where I’m proud to serve as chair of the advisory council working to make the museum a physical reality in Washington.
The museum will celebrate the many women — such as Coleman — who’ve changed American history and tell their stories to future generations. I know how important it is for women and girls to see themselves in the fabric of American society. In recent years, women have made strides in the area I know best: the business world.
In 2014, while I was commerce secretary, women were CEOs in less than 5% of Fortune 500 companies. Those numbers have remained roughly stagnant for years. But as of last month, for the first time, 53 Fortune 500 companies — just a little more than 10% — are now led by women. That’s still far from where this figure should be, considering that since late 2019, women make up more than 50% of America’s college-educated workforce.
Throughout my life, I have often seen the impacts of gender stereotypes and inequity. When I was 16, I wrote to my grandfather, a son of Russian immigrants who built a business empire, asking why he talked only to the boys in the family about business, but not me. His answer: “Penny, I was born in 1896 — how am I supposed to know that young women are interested in business?”
Fortunately, he made a quick turnaround, became my mentor and gave me a crash course in accounting, which he saw as a foundation to understanding business.
I have seen how few women are in boardrooms or corporate dining rooms, but that has slowly changed over time. When I joined the Obama administration in 2013, I was struck by the large number of talented, powerful women in leadership roles. Today, with Vice President Kamala Harris and 12 women serving in President Joe Biden’s Cabinet, the government is making even better use of our nation’s incredible resource of accomplished women.
My hope is that we will continue to learn that by hiring and promoting women, by allowing them to serve in the public and private sectors, by removing glass ceilings and encouraging girls to see unlimited possibilities, we make America stronger. The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum will provide the encouragement and inspiration for many more women to make history of their own, just as Bessie Coleman did.
