Hidden Gems in Black History: A Black Man Invented The Airplane

Outshining The Wright Brothers American engineer and businessman Charles Ward Chappelle won acclaim in 1911 for his long-distance aircraft, and from 1913 until 1930, he served as president of the African Union Company. Chappelle presented at the First Industrial Aero Event in Brooklyn, New York, in January 1911. The show included airplanes and aeronautical technology. An architect and engineer by profession, Chappelle had created a long-distance aircraft that could fly safely. Even though the Wright Brothers had just flown a decade earlier, Chappelle’s aircraft was remarkable for its innovative design and remarkable performance. At the end of the week-long exhibition, which drew over 15,000 attendees, the organizers presented Chappelle with a medal and displayed his model at the US Aeronautical Reserve headquarters. Out of all the participants, he was the only Black American. Investments and commercial possibilities came Chappelle’s way as a result of his popularity on the program. Later that year, he co-founded and held the position of vice president for a short time at the first Black American aircraft firm. Supposedly hailing from the Akim people of the Gold Coast in Africa, Alfred C. Sam hired Chappelle to serve as head engineer in December (modern-day Ghana). Among the...