It became clear as I was researching the material for our interview with the first black flight attendants that I owe them my thanks.
I remember when President Johnson signed in the Civil Rights legislation in 1964 making discrimination illegal, and I remember how many years passed before discrimination was actually considered illegal. Though intended to address racial discrimination, the laws were used to fight discrimination based on gender, age, religion, etc. My working life, as a white woman, is vastly different than my mother's, and a good portion of that is because women, such as the first black flight attendants, had the courage to fight against the status quo.
By the way, it cannot be said that anyone "gave them a chance" to work. It took several years of litigation in the courts to force the doors to employment open for "negro stewardesses."
You can hear the wonderful interview at
www.skysteward.info
BTW: the Black Flight Attendants of America, Inc (BFAOA) can be reached at
[email protected] They have a convention coming up this summer in Memphis.