'Segregated Skies' tells the story of the first Black pilot for a commercial airline
When American Airlines hired David Harris in 1964, he became the first African American pilot to fly for a commercial airline. Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Cottman's Segregated Skies tells his story.
by Elizabeth Blair
Feb 18, 2022
3 minutes
When American Airlines hired David Harris in 1964, he became the first African American pilot for a commercial airline. The story of how he broke the color barrier in the clouds is the subject of the young adult book Segregated Skies by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Cottman.
At age 87, David Harris doesn't fly anymore — and he misses it.
"It's the greatest job in the world. I flew and flew and flew and was ready to fly more in my life," Harris says wistfully.
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