Historical Spotlight: John C. Robinson
Flying is a luxury often taken for granted today. Before the convenience of hopping on a jumbo jet and flying over large bodies of water or terrain, the world was vastly unconnected or required long voyages on boats. Black Americans have created vital inventions, innovations, and engineering advancements throughout history that unfortunately haven’t been properly compensated, commemorated, or credited. Join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on John Charles Robinson, a self-taught pilot who made a worldwide impact.
John was born on November 26, 1903 in Carrabelle, Florida to his mom, Celeste Robinson, and his dad, who died when he was a baby. Celeste married Charles Cobb, and the family moved to Gulfport, Mississippi when he was young. He was around seven years old when he saw his first airplane and decided he wanted to learn how to fly.
He attended Gulfport High School for the Colored where he developed a strong interest in mechanics and machinery. Unfortunately, due to the laws at the time, he was only able to complete up to the tenth grade. In September 1921, he enrolled at Tuskegee University in Alabama and studied automobile mechanical science to further his education. During his studies, he was exposed to math, literature, composition, and history and graduated just three years later in 1923.
John was dedicated to helping those in his community after experiencing racial discrimination that made it difficult to find a job after college. He took a short-term job as a shoeshine man before working in a warehouse in his Mississippi hometown, but those were insufficient. He wanted to work with engines, and whenever he’d look for work at local garages with white ownership, he was often shunned or degraded to simple tasks like filling gas tanks, sweeping, washing, or changing tires.
He decided to move to the Detroit area in search of more plentiful automotive jobs, but still struggled to find work due to his extensive knowledge being unwelcomed by those who couldn’t keep up with his intellect. He continued to refuse menial jobs until he successfully became a mechanic’s assistant. His work spoke volumes and helped him get promoted to a full mechanic with a pay raise despite the constant discrimination that he faced.
While he saw success as a mechanic, he never lost his passion to take flight. He eventually met pilots Robert Williamson and Percy, and earned his first flight after helping them fix the engine on one of their planes. This invigorated his desire to fly even more and he decided to move to Chicago, where he quickly opened a garage for income to chase his dream.
After being inspired by Bessie Coleman, he repeatedly attempted to enroll at the Curtiss-Wright Aeronautical University in Chicago, but was unfortunately rejected because Black Americans weren’t allowed to attend. Refusing to get discouraged, he took a job as a janitor at the school and unofficially sat in on classes. He started the Aero Study Group and successfully built an airplane that caught the attention of one of the professors, who was able to secure a spot for him as the first Black student.
He was a true ear hustler who hung around long enough to get the information he needed to accomplish his goals and dreams of becoming a licensed pilot. He was a driving force to help integrate Black American pilots into the American aviation industry and started the Challenger Air Pilots Association with his friend Cornelius Coffey for Black Americans who wanted to fly.
He successfully graduated in 1931 and went on to open the John Robinson School of Aviation in Robbins, Illinois to pass along his knowledge to other hopeful Black pilots. The airfield at the school became the first Black-owned airport in the United States.
He was also able to convince his alma mater, Tuskegee University, to open a school of aviation as soon as they had the funding. He is often referred to as the “Father of the Tuskegee Airmen” because of his instrumental influence in getting the institution to even offer aeronautics.
In 1935, John left home and stamped his way into history by training pilots during Ethiopia’s war with Italy. Not only did he believe in protecting a free and independent Africa, but he also took advantage of an elite opportunity that was still unattainable to him since Black Americans weren’t able to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps. After his all-Black military aviation unit in Illinois was recognized as part of the National Guard, he wanted to build and maintain a similar unit in Ethiopia to promote Black political consciousness.
He single handedly influenced their air fleet and was named commander of the Ethiopian Air Force, which at the time only consisted of about 24 weaponless aircraft. He even participated in a recon mission to provide supplies and soldiers before Italy’s military ultimately overwhelmed Ethiopia’s meager forces.
John returned home to the United States in 1936 and received a lot of press coverage from NBC Radio, the Transradio Press Service, and the Chicago Defender. His achievements in Ethiopia helped push the demands for social equality so Black Americans could serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps and influenced the creation of the Tuskegee Airmen that served in World War II.
After the struggle with Italy subsided, he returned to Ethiopia to establish a pilot training school and eventually helped establish Ethiopian Airlines, which is still in existence today. Not only did he train the pilots, but he also acted as manager and supervisor for the fleet.
John unfortunately died on March 27, 1954 in Ethiopia after suffering from injuries caused by a plane crash. A reading garden at the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia was created to commemorate his contributions to the country on February 19, 2015.
Nicknamed the “Brown Condor”, John was dedicated to learning how to fly and never let anyone deter him from following his passion. He went the extra mile and worked twice as hard to learn how to safely operate an aircraft. He became such an expert, that he branched out and helped an entire African nation build their very own airline that is still in existence today. Without him, who knows how long that corner of the world would have remained inaccessible.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
