Originally Posted by GUWonder
In the late 1940s and early 1950s and most certainly 1960s, African-Americans flew across the Atlantic, including some who were in the entertainment industry. Also, some Africans -- not many, but some -- did fly from Africa and/or Europe to the US on their own money. Some "black" people flying across were part of the ruling elite in Africa who were either playing nicely with the European colonials or who were trying to raise money for building up independence efforts and rebellions in Africa.
Apparently, there were also African-American Muslims flying to Saudi Arabia for the hajj. Certainly not the most common occurence, but a famous example is Malcolm X.