02/06/2022
Great Story!
In 1957, Marlon Green, an Air Force pilot, applied to be a Continental Airlines pilot. Green had applied to other airlines but was rejected each time. When he filled out his application for Continental, he left the “race” box unchecked. Green made it to the final round of interviews but was not hired, even though he had more flight time than the other candidates who were white.
Green filed a complaint with the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Commission, a landmark case that ended up in the United States Supreme Court which ruled in Greens favor and helped dismantle racial discrimination in the American passenger airline industry.
While David Harris was the first Black pilot hired with a major airline, Marlon Green’s fight for the right to be in the flight deck cleared a path for generations of Black pilots to come. In 2010, Continental dedicated a 737 named for Captain Marlon Green. The aircraft, N77518, still flies for United today.
Thank you, Marlon Green for your contributions towards Black History and paving the way for many to follow 🧑🏾✈️✈️
