Question
When Bessie Coleman told her brother that she wanted to be a pilot, he laughed. He said that African American women would never fly planes.
Well, that didn't stop 27-year-old Coleman. After American aviation schools rejected her, Coleman learned that French schools accepted students of any gender or race. Great--except she didn't speak French. She didn't give up, though.
Instead, Coleman took a second job so she could afford French lessons. Her hard work paid off. By 1920, she was enrolled at the Caudron Brothers* School of Aviation in France. And on June 15, 1921, Bessie Coleman became the first African American woman to earn a pilot's license. *Brave
Bessie," as she was called, amazed audiences with her daring stunts. But Coleman refused to perform at venues that forced African Americans to use a separate gate. And all the while, she saved money for her dream of opening an aviation school for african americans. Tragically, Coleman died in a flight-related accident in
1926. But her dream lived on. In 1929, the Bessie Coleman Aero Club opened. And by 1 931,
African American pilots were soaring over American skies. Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010) When The New York Times asked about her fearsome last name, Wilma Pearl Mankiller explained that some Native Americans earn their names, but she In the 1950s, Mankiller's family was among the many Native Americans who were relocated from their native lands
throughout the U.S. to San Francisco, California.
There, the civil rights movements of the 1960s inspired Mankiller to volunteer and make a difference in her peoples* lives. She returned to her family's lands in 1977 and founded new programs encouraging tribal self-reliance that improved living conditions for Native American communities. didn't. However, she continued, "I don't always tell people that. Sometimes I just say that Mankiller is my name...and I let 'em wonder." The truth is,
"Mankiller" is a Cherokee title for someone who guards a village. After a career focused on working to protect the Cherokee Nation, she had earned her name. In the 1950s, Mankiller's family was among the many Native Americans who were relocated from their native lands
throughout the U.S. to San Francisco, California.
There, the civil rights movements of the 1960s inspired Mankiller to volunteer and make a difference in her peoples* lives. She returned to her family's lands in 1977 and founded new programs encouraging tribal self-reliance that improved living conditions for Native American communities. Despite opposition because of her gender, Mankiller was elected the first female deputy chief of the Cherokee Nation in
1983. She proved to be a strong leader. And when the principal chief left midterm, Mankiller took over, becoming the first woman ever to lead the Cherokee Nation. In 1987, Mankiller was officially elected principal chief, and in 1991, she was reelected in a landslide.
Under Mankiller's 10-year guard, the Cherokee Nation became self-governing, doubled its revenue, and nearly quadrupled in size. Victoria Woodhull (1838-1927) In 1868, 30-year-old activist Victoria Woodhull met Cornelius Vanderbilt, then the richest man in the United States. He helped her invest in Wall Street. By 1870, Woodhull had founded the first
brokerage firm run by a woman-and a very successful one at that. With her new wealth,
Woodhull achieved another first for women: She published a weekly newspaper and wrote articles about equal rights and other topics. A conaressman invited her to + Picture
+ English to Tagalog
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Washington, D.C., where, on January 11, 1871,
Woodhull became the first woman to speak before the House of Representatives. Despite her persuasive arguments supporting women's rights, the House disagreed with Woodhull.
But that didn't silence her.
In 1872-48 years before women could legally vote in the United States-Victoria
Woodhull became the first woman to run for president. Her bid was unsuccessful, but it paved the way for similarly determined women to follow in her footsteps.
The reader can infer from the Article that
A. Coleman was finally able to achieve her
dream of starting an aviation school for
African Americans shortly before her death
B. Mankiller did not really want to become the
principal chief of the Cherokee Nation after
the existing chief left midterm
C. Woodhull's first attempt to start a brokerage
firm ended in failure sometime before 1870
D. Woodhull did not receive one official vote
from a woman in the presidential election of
1872