SR189 - Recognizing 125 years of Black aviation history.

          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 189          WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to   join the National Aviation Education Center and the   Commemorative Air Force in recognizing 125 years of Black   aviation history; and          WHEREAS, Black innovators and aviators overcame seemingly   insurmountable barriers during the Jim Crow era to help lay the   foundation for modern advanced aviation, yet their contributions   to the field have been largely overlooked and underappreciated; and          WHEREAS, This storied history can be traced back to 1899,   when John Frederick Pickering of Haiti applied for an aviation   patent for his flight machine, and he was awarded United States   Patent Number 643,975 on February 20, 1900; Charles Frederick   Page, a former slave of Pineville, Louisiana, also applied for an   aviation patent for his invention in 1903, and he was awarded   United States Patent Number 817,442 on April 10, 1906; both of   these men's original innovations were designed and tested before   the Wright brothers made their famous first flight; and          WHEREAS, Black pilots continued breaking barriers in the   early 1900s, and during World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen garnered   public attention as the nation's first Black military pilot group;   these extraordinary servicemen persevered amid discriminatory   policies and prejudice to protect the nation with exceptional skill   and bravery in aerial combat, and their achievements established   the groundwork for racial integration of the United States Armed   Forces and the civil rights movement; and          WHEREAS, On February 21 and 22, 2025, guests gathered at   the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center to honor   the positive impact and enduring legacy of Black trailblazers in   the field of aviation as part of the center's Black History Month   celebration; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th   Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the pioneering Black men who   helped to shape modern aeronautics and join all in celebrating   125 years of Black aviation history; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in   honor of this special occasion.     West                 ________________________________          President of the Senate               I hereby certify that the     above Resolution was adopted by     the Senate on March 4, 2025.                 ________________________________          Secretary of the Senate                 ________________________________           Member, Texas Senate