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Female African American pilots fly into Houston for 5th scholarship fundraiser

By Dr. Anne Sulton, Esq.

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February 13, 2023

Sisters of the Skies

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Sisters of the Skies is an organization of about 120 female African Americans working as professional pilots in the public and private sectors. Among the commercial airline companies for which they fly jets worldwide are United Airlines, Delta Airlines, and American Airlines.

This weekend, the Sisters will be joined by hundreds of pilots and aviation professionals in Houston, Texas as they celebrate their prior year’s accomplishments and award flight training scholarships to other female African Americans aspiring and qualified to transport people and goods around the globe.

This unique organization was founded in 2016 by Nia Wordlaw (United Airlines Boeing 777 pilot flying international flights) and Angel Hughes (who then was flying for the U.S. Coast Guard and currently flies internationally for UPS). The current president is Theresa Claiborne, a

United Airlines Captain flying the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on international flights.

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This year’s black-tie event is sponsored by United Airlines.

Brett Hart, president of United Airlines, is the keynote speaker. In addition to leading United Airlines’ global operations, Mr. Hart serves on the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Obama Foundation Inclusion Council, the University of Chicago Board of Trustees, and the Board of Directors of the Innocence Project.

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Author

Dr. Anne Sulton, Esq.

Since receiving her law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1985, Anne has focused her law practice on litigating civil rights cases in federal courts. In recognition of her outstanding achievements as a civil rights attorney, she received the coveted “William Robert Ming Advocacy Award” from the NAACP at its July 2007 National Convention in Detroit.

Anne also holds a Ph.D. in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Maryland-College Park. She has served as a faculty member at several colleges and universities, including Spelman College in Atlanta, Howard University in Washington, DC, and New Jersey City University. As a criminologist, Anne has conducted empirical research, and published articles and books on criminal justice topics. Anne frequently gives keynote speeches on civil rights, crime prevention, and urban education. She also serves as an expert witness.

Anne has given dozens of keynote speeches. Among her major addresses are a Wingspread Briefing on Crime Prevention and the Wilmington, Delaware NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet. She has appeared on scores of television and radio programs, including the McNeil Lehrer Newshour and CNN.

She currently serves as our Senior International Correspondent, covering stories in Japan, Thailand, India, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Dubai, France, Austria, Australia, Egypt, Turkey, and Canada. She currently is authoring our weekly column on climate change.

In 1977, Anne became the first African American female in Atlanta to earn a private pilot’s license. Since then, she has developed aviation education programs for youth. In 2005, she organized African American female pilots’ visit to Chicago and Rue, France to honor Bessie Coleman and the men making it possible for her to become the world’s first licensed African American pilot in 1921. Her name is among those included on the Wall of Honor at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

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