Patricia Banks-Edmiston Broke Skyward Barriers

Feb. 29, 2024 – 01:38 – This year for Black History Month, theGrio commemorates the profound impact of Black individuals who changed American history. Patricia Banks-Edimiston, one of the first African American flight attendants who helped break barriers in the sky. Born in New York City in 1937, Banks-Edmiston attended Queens College and read a news article about the Grace Downs Air Career School. From there, she knew she wanted to travel the world as a flight hostess. Banks-Edmiston graduated with high marks from Grace Downs. But at the time, pilots, engineers, and stewardesses were rarely Black. One place she applied to, Capital Airlines, told Banks-Edmiston that “the company didn’t hire Black people in flight capacities.” She would go on to file a suit against Capital Airlines for racially discriminatory hiring practices. After 3 years, the Commission ruled in Banks-Edmiston’s favor and ordered Capital Airlines to hire her in 30 days or the case would go to the Supreme Court. She became the first Black stewardess for the airline in 1960. Her legal win is credited with the employment of more airlines hiring Black women. #KeepingBlackHistoryAlive