Excerpt from Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia:
Coleman was the first female African American pilot, performing stunts and aerial acrobatics before audiences in the United States and Europe. Facing explicit racism and ridicule from critics, she still earned a living with her skills as a flamboyant barnstorming flyer. She inspired many to pursue aviation at a time when that career was almost unthinkable for blacks, and for women. Her career preceded by several years that of aviator Amelia Earhart.