J. Herman Banning: February 5, 1933

Jet, Feb 12, 1996

February 5, 1933 --

J. Herman Banning, first Black aviator to be licensed by the U.S. Department of Commerce, died on this day in an airplane crash (he was not the pilot) in San Diego, CA. On September 19, 1932, Banning and his mechanic, Thomas Allen, became the first Blacks to fly across the United States. This pioneering journey from Los Angeles to New York took 22 hours over a 20-day period. The flight was completed October 9, 1932. They had only $25 to finance the journey, but many people contributed funds to help, including supporters of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency.

February 10, 1780 --

Blacks protested against taxation without representation. Seven Blacks in Dartmouth, MA, including Paul Cuffe and his brother John, protested in a petition to the Revolutionary legislature of their state against the fact that they were subjected to taxation without the right to vote. In 1783, by court decision, Blacks subjected to taxation were declared to be entitled to vote.