Post Views: 4,069

I want to ask you a few questions. Simple ones, but I really want you to give them some thought.  

How often do you see an African American pilot when you’re at the airport? Latinx? Asian? 

Ok, chances are your answers ranged from rarely to never—which is pretty aligned with workforce demographic data. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018 figures show less than 3% of US commercial pilots are African Americans. Fewer than 7% are Hispanic or Latino and a little more than 4% are Asian. Now, I want you to imagine that you’re a child of color who wants to become a pilot. I would imagine it can be a bit disheartening to rarely see someone who looks like you in the position that you one day hope to be in. Or maybe it never even crosses your mind as an option for your future. This is a reality that Black pilots Courtland Savage and Jerome Stanislaus are making efforts to change.  

I would imagine it can be a bit disheartening to rarely see someone who looks like you in the position that you one day hope to be in. This is a reality that Black pilots Courtland Savage and Jerome Stanislaus are making efforts to… Click To Tweet

Savage created an amazing organization named “Fly For The Culture” that promotes diversity and inclusion in the field of aviation. Savage wants to show the African-American community that there is a path to high-paying jobs in aviation. The organization offers free flying lessons at Charlotte-area airports for people of color and mentorship opportunities for those interested in pursuing careers in aviation. They also intentionally increase children’s exposure to the world of flying by providing free 10-15-minute introductory flights to youth. If they are interested after their first flight, Savage will help them find a flight school to take lessons.  

The pair started off paying for each flight out of their own pockets, but thanks to increasing media coverage, they have received thousands in donations and are looking to expand the program nationwide. After checking out their Instagram, my heart was quickly warmed by all the smiling faces of the children they have flown. I absolutely love what this organization is doing, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn it was all taking place in my backyard.  

If you’d like to learn more about the organization, you can like them on Facebook or go directly to www.flyfortheculture.org.