A Moment in Black History - Flight Attendants

Journalist and nurse Ruth Carol Taylor became the first African American airline flight attendant in the United States when she joined Mohawk Airlines in 1958.

However it was Patricia Banks who paved the way. After graduating from Grace Downs Air Career School in 1956 pursued a career as a flight attendant and was repeatedly denied employment by several airlines for such reasons as age, poor eyesight and the need for dental work.

During a subsequent interview with Capital Airlines, the head flight attendant finally told Ms. Banks that they did not hire Negroes as flight attendants. With the support of Representative Adam Clayton Powell, Ms. Banks filed a complaint against TWA, Mohawk and Capital Airlines with the New York State Commission Against Discrimination. In 1960, they ruled in favor of Ms. Banks and ordered Capital Airlines to hire her within 30 days.

Capital Airlines appealed the decision on the basis of jurisdiction stating they are registered in Washington, DC. The New York State Commission advising Capital Airlines that since they operate and hire in New York city they have jurisdiction and therefore the order stands.

Ja'Vonne's Travel Minute

THE PONY EXPRESS NEVADA

Sometimes you have to pay a visit to the road. A long stretch of pavement, be it highway or byway, that beckons for visitors from near and far. Wheels to the pavement mapping a course, retracing history, embracing the solitude, taking in the surroundings and meeting the locals at unassuming sometimes planned and other times unplanned stops along the way.



You see a "Road Trip" is not about arriving as you set out to do, rather it's about discovering, getting lost and all the in-between's.




We received the call and answered with our modern day steed (a Chevy Tahoe). With wheels to the pavement we set out to discover, "The Pony Express Nevada", along Highway 50 aka, The Loneliest Road in America. Highway 50 runs through Nevada and along side The Pony Express Nevada Trail. 

Two city girls left Chicago, flew into Reno, NV, picked up our steed, drove to our first town for a quick overnight and viola .... became two city gals taking on the west. We didn't really know what to expect. We read the history and visited the website but still had no idea what we were about to embark upon. As we rolled in and out of the historic towns that make up The Pony Express Nevada Trail, we had a Eureka moment, long before we rolled into the town of Eureka. We were experiencing a piece of a 17 million acre museum; The history of The Pony Express, The Paiute Indians and the towns we visited; The geography and archaeology; The early discovery of the west by its European settlers and let's not forget natural beauty. It all unfolded before our eyes and for that we will never view "The Road" merely as a way between two places again.

Our five day road trip following the Pony Express Trail took us from Dayton to Fernley, Fallon, Austin, Eureka and finally Ely. Actually because Fernley is closest to Reno we began there, headed west to Dayton and then back east again.

Gitty Up!
Photos by Howard Little

Ja'Vonne Harley
Tune into The Traveling Eye, Friday on WVON @ 11am Central time and Saturday on XM Channel 141 @ 11am Central Time for our show on The Pony Express.