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Female trailblazers will continue to receive their flowers. The U.S. Mint has announced five new historic figures whose faces will appear on the 2023 quarters. The spotlight is a part of a four-year program to honor the historic contributions and achievements of women pioneers. As AfroTech previously told you, Maya Angelou was one of the first to appear under the American Women Quarters Program. She joined Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren, and Anna May Wong, Essence reports. As the new year encroaches, you can look forward to some fresh faces who will be receiving the well-deserved honor such as Bessie Coleman. The Texas native, who was sometimes referred to as “The Only Race Aviatrix in the World,” became the first African American woman and Native American to acquire a pilot license. She rose to notoriety after performing dangerous air shows throughout the nation. The late pilot will be joined by Edith Kanakaʻole, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jovita Idar, and Maria...
Five-year-old Mandisa Nomcebo Mfeka would sit outside of the airport accompanied by her mother and grandmother to watch the airshows at Virginia Airport. According to Good Things Guy, Mandisa’s mother was unable to afford admissions tickets, so she opted to park their car outside the gates and enjoy the show from afar. It was those airshows that sparked Mandisa’s passion for aviation and ultimately led her to become the world’s first Black woman combat pilot from South Africa. Twitter / @Mandz_NM When she entered the tenth grade, Mandisa began researching science and math vocations and soon discovered aeronautical engineering. During her quest to apply to university, Mandisa stumbled upon an article about the South African Air Force (SAAF) and it immediately caught her interest. “It wasn’t until I was 16 that I discovered the Air Force, and I was like ‘Oh my God, this girl can become a pilot,’” Major Mandisa told the Afternoon Express . According to Good Things Guy , Major Mandisa...