FORT WORTH, Texas (August 13, 200) - I-American Airlines izosebenza njengomxhasi wesihloko seNgqungquthela Yamabhanoyi Ezindiza Ezimnyama (OBAP) 32nd Annual Convention, lapho uKaputeni osewathatha umhlalaphansi uDave Harris ezohlonishwa ngokuba ngowokuqala wase-Afrika waseMelika ukundizela inkampani yezindiza ezentengiselwano. UHarris, 73, wathatha umhlalaphansi e-American Airlines ngo-1994 ngemva kweminyaka engama-30 esebenza.

Ngemuva kokwenqatshwa kwezinye izindiza ezinkulu eziningi ngaleso sikhathi, u-Harris wayefuna ukugwema noma yikuphi ukungezwani emgwaqeni. Ngemva kwengxoxo yakhe no-American, u-Harris uyakhumbula, "Ngazizwa ngiphoqelekile ukuthi ngitshele (obuza imibuzo) ukuthi ngimnyama." Umshayeli omkhulu wendiza owaqhuba le nhlolokhono waphendula, “Le yi-American Airlines futhi asinandaba noma umnyama, umhlophe noma u-chartreuse, sifuna ukwazi kuphela, ungakwazi ukushayela indiza?” UHarris waqala ukuqeqeshwa ne-American Airlines ngoDisemba 3, 1964, elungiselela ukushayela indiza ye-DC-6 yenkampani yezindiza.

I-American Airlines namuhla inolunye lwezinhla zezisebenzi zendiza ezihluke kakhulu embonini. I-American Eagle Airlines yaseMelika kanye nenhlangano yayo yesifunda iqashe abashayeli bezindiza abangu-163 base-Afrika-baseMelika, abanye babo okungabashayeli bezindiza besifazane.

"UCaptain Harris uyisibonelo esihle kubantu base-Afrika baseMelika abalandele ezinyathelweni zakhe ukuze basebenze embonini yezindiza zezentengiselwano," kusho uCaptain Mark Hettermann, umshayeli omkhulu we-American Airlines. "Iminyaka yakhe engu-30 yenkonzo yokuzinikela kufanele ibe ugqozi kubo bonke abantu baseMelika - i-African American nokunye."

Abanye abasebenzi abambalwa bamanje nabangaphambili be-American Airlines nabo bazothola ukuqashelwa okukhethekile ngezimpumelelo zabo ezinhle emsebenzini wezokundiza, okuhlanganisa no-Joan Dorsey, owaba umnakekeli wokuqala wase-Afrika-waseMelika. UDorsey washiya phansi i-American Airlines ngo-1999 ngemva kweminyaka engaphezu kwama-36 esebenza.

Yasungulwa ngo-1976, i-Organisation of Black Airline Pilots, Inc. iyinhlangano engenzi nzuzo ezinikele ekwandiseni inani labantu base-Afrika baseMelika kanye nabesifazane abaqashwe embonini ye-aerospace. Izinze eSilver Spring, eMaryland, umgomo we-OBAP uwukulungiselela abantu abasha ukuthi bafeze ikusasa eliphumelelayo embonini ye-aerospace ngokusebenzisa amathuba emfundo, ukuqondisa kanye namaphrojekthi we-aerospace.

LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:

American Airlines will serve as the title sponsor of the Organization of Black Airline Pilots (OBAP) 32nd Annual Convention, where retired Captain Dave Harris will be honored for being the first African American to fly for a commercial airline.
Headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, the mission of OBAP is to prepare young people to realize a successful future in the aerospace industry through educational opportunities, mentoring and aerospace projects.
The chief pilot who conducted the interview responded, “This is American Airlines and we don’t care if you’re black, white or chartreuse, we only want to know, can you fly the plane.