Black Flight: Breaking Barriers to Blacks in Aviation

An exciting biography about a 1930's aviator, the perils that he encountered during 3 series of flights, the pageantry he witnessed during the parades and state dinners that he was accorded, and the factors that caused him to risk his life without any expectation of fame or monetary reward. Was his daring a result of leadership traits inherited from aristocratic ancestors going back to 400 AD and including the Emperor Charlemaine and the Scots who fought for Bonnie Prince Charles? A cultural heritage from Jamaica in the West Indies where the Maroons resisted slavery for 80 years? Education that included classes with Booker T. Washington, Colleges in Illinois and Ohio, and medical school at McGill in Montreal Canada? Life experiences that included workinghis way through school and confrontations in Atlantic City?

This is not a dry recitation of one individuals life but a vibrant comparison of the differences between the history and cultures of 10 Caribbean nations and the United States, in general and the cultures of the North and South. It brings history alive as he meets Booker T. Washington, Charles Lindberg, the Cuban dictator Batista, the Dominican dictator Trujillo, and the Jamaican populist, Marcus Garvey. There are vivid descriptions of the places where he lived such as Jamaica, the cities that he visited, and the dangers that he faced--fog, gales, an electrical storm over Texas, overheating over the Mojave Desert, a hailstorm over Utah, mechanical failures, and much much more.

Teachers and students were and students were a prominent factor in his actions. The steering committee for his third flight was primarily composed of principals and teachers. He made many speeches at schools in order to interest students in aviation and encourage them to think positively about their career choices. His last stop before his third flight was at Booker T. Washington High School in Florida. At one island stop, he took the time to hand out certificates to students.

With the first page of Black Flight, the reader realizes that this is more than a biography. The author skillfully intertwines interesting medical, historical, and cultural data with the chronological events in the life of a man who accomplished some extraordinary trips and never made an effort to achieve fame or fortune from it. For example, different aspects of fear and its effects are discussed, some knowledge of three different diseases is provided, the death of a parent and our own individual mortality is explored, information is given on genealogical searches and cultural histories.

This is a book that will appeal to young adults and adults in all ethnic groups.

Roger Albert Forsyth is a physician/administrator/educator who has published books and articles in the medical field and also written articles on finance, travel, and medical economics. He was born a few days after his uncle left Jamaica on the fourth leg of his Goodwill Flight to the Caribbean. In recognition of his brothers feat, his father used his brother's first name as the middle name for his new son. In 1953 Roger was taken on a partial recreation of the Goodwill Flight. This plus many similarities in the life histories of Roger and his uncle provided Roger with unusual insight in writing this biography.