Black Wings: The Life of an African American Aviation Pioneer

Black Wings, published in 1934 during the Great Depression, is the autobiography of black aviation pioneer, engineer, and entrepreneur William Powell. In 1917 he enlisted in officer training school and served in a segregated unit during World War I. During the war Powell was gassed by the enemy, and he suffered health problems throughout his life from this poison gas attack. After the war Powell opened service stations in Chicago. He became interested in aviation, but the only school that would train him was located in Los Angeles. He sold his businesses in Chicago and moved to the West Coast. After receiving his pilot's license in 1932, Powell set out to motivate other African Americans to pursue a career in aviation. Powell eventually opened an all-black flight school, produced a movie, published monthly journals, offered scholarships to young African Americans, and founded the first African American owned airplane manufacturer. Powell died in 1942.