In 1957, Marlon Green, an Air Force pilot, applied to be a pilot for Continental Airlines. He had applied to other airlines before but had been rejected each time. When he filled out his application for Continental, he left the “race” box blank. Green made it to the final round of interviews, but he was not hired, even though he had more flight hours than the other white candidates.
Green decided to file a complaint with the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Commission. His case eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in his favor. This helped end racial discrimination in the American passenger airline industry.
While David Harris was the first Black pilot hired by a major airline, Marlon Green’s fight opened the doors for many Black pilots after him. In 2010, Continental Airlines named a 737 aircraft after Captain Marlon Green. The plane, N77518, still flies for United today.
Thank you, Marlon Green, for your contributions to Black History and for making it possible for many others to follow in your footsteps 🧑🏾✈️✈️.