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Visit Washington, DC and Chantilly, Virginia to explore hundreds of the world’s most important objects from aviation and space history. Museums in DC require a free timed admission pass.
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Dramatic cultural changes in the 1960s and 1970s reshaped the airline industry.
More and more people are flying, and for some people, air travel is no longer special.
During this period, America was undergoing rapid social changes. Between 1955 and 1972, passenger numbers increased more than four times. By 1972, nearly half of Americans were flying, but most passengers were still business travelers. A small number of people became repeat customers, or “frequent travelers.”
The nation was also becoming increasingly homogeneous. Retail franchising excluded distinctive regional characteristics. Television has become ubiquitous in most homes. Automobiles transformed cities and suburbs began consuming large tracts of rural land. The interstate highway system spanned the United States, and a network of jet airliners connected the country. Traveling from coast to coast now takes just five hours. Perhaps most importantly, people were fighting for equality.
Air travel and quarantine
African Americans had the option of flying, but few actually did so. Many airport facilities were segregated and discrimination was widespread. Although the airlines themselves were not legally segregated, airports often were. Throughout the South, poor airport facilities prevented African Americans from flying. Complaints to the airline regarding discrimination proved futile. The airlines did not control the municipal airports they served and did not want to get involved for fear of losing white customers. Until the civil rights movement began to bring about change, air travel was primarily reserved for white people.
Efforts to desegregate airports began as early as 1948. U.S. Representative Charles C. Diggs Jr. from Michigan sponsored a bill in Congress to desegregate the federally owned Washington National Airport. Although the bill did not pass, it inspired others to take action.
For many critical observers, such as Rep. Diggs, travelers leaving to enjoy the most modern form of transportation, airplanes, are forced into the humiliating experience of having to pass through isolated terminals. It seemed ridiculous to be rejected.
Washington National Airport, like many airports in the South, discriminated against African Americans. In December 1948, airport restaurants were finally desegregated after members of the Civil Rights Commission appealed directly to President Truman. Slowly throughout the 1960s, other segregated airports followed suit after succumbing to legal and political pressure.
Pursuit of professionals in the aviation industry
Airlines did not hire African Americans as pilots or flight attendants until the 1960s. The exceptions were Perry H. Young Jr. (left), who was the first to fly a helicopter for New York Airlines in 1956, and Ruth Carroll Taylor, who was the first stewardess for Mohawk Airlines in 1958.
Race-based discrimination at major airlines was only successfully challenged in 1963, when Marlon D. Greene won a lawsuit against Continental Airlines to become a pilot. His victory opened the door to civil aviation for many. But Mr. Green didn’t hire the first African-American woman as a commercial pilot until 1992, nearly 30 years after Mr. Green won his case, when Melissa “Melisse” Ward was hired by United Airlines. It was when
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a working woman
Although women entered the ranks of airline professionals as flight attendants as early as the 1930s, it was not until 1973 that the first woman flew a commercial airliner. Furthermore, even though women held the majority of the flight attendant profession in the 1960s and 1970s, the airline used these as a marketing tool and offered flight attendants a fashionable but They attracted passengers by making them wear revealing uniforms.
Patrice Clark-Washington
In 1994, Clark Washington became the first African American woman to serve as a captain for a major U.S. airline. Patrice Clark Washington worked as a captain for United Parcel Service, better known as UPS. UPS is one of several air express carriers specializing in the quick delivery of high-priority packages that became famous after deregulation in the 1970s. One of her uniforms from 1998 is in the museum’s collection.
Flight Attendants and Title VII
Flight attendants were one of the first groups to file a lawsuit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made biased employment practices illegal. As social attitudes evolved, they challenged biased rules through the courts. They opposed age, race, and marriage restrictions and asserted their rights as women. By 1967, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled against all of the airline’s discriminatory employment practices. This opened up airline career opportunities to all Americans.
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National Air and Space Museum
6th St. and Independence Ave. SW.
Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center
14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway