Research Catalog

Details

Description

1. .2 lin. ft. (1 box)

Summary

1. Collection of documents relating to Patricia Banks and her groundbreaking legal case to become one of the first black flight attendants. Collection includes newspaper clippings from 1957-1960, her flight attendant's certificate from Capital Airlines and a travel log. Also included is the transcript from her legal suit with the New York State Commission against Discrimination against Capital Airlines. Along with a video about Banks from WNBC News Black History Month, 1997, are print outs of digital photographs and the program booklet from the Black Flight Attendants of America, Inc.'s annual convention in 1999 where she was honored.

Subject

1. African Americans > Civil rights
2. African Americans > Employment
3. Banks, Patricia Noisette
4. Capital Airlines History
5. Flight attendants > Legal status, laws, etc > United States > Cases
6. Race discrimination > United States
7. African Americans > Civil rights > History > 20th century
8. Flight attendants > United States
9. African Americans > Legal status, laws, etc
10. United States > Race relations
11. Black author
12. Airlines > United States > Employees
13. African Americans > Social conditions
14. African American women > Employment
15. Discrimination in employment > United States

Call number

1. Sc MG 697

Note

1. Video transferred to the Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division.
2. Photographs transferred to the Photographs and Prints Division.
3. Calendar, Movie and Product Advertisements transferred to the Arts and Artifacts Division.

Biography (note)

1. One of the first black flight attendants, Patricia Banks, a native New Yorker, fought discrimination by filing a lawsuit against Capital Airlines through the New York State Commission Against Discrimination. A graduate of the Grace Downs Air Career School, Banks applied to several airlines companies for a stewardess position, but was repeatedly denied employment. In 1957 she filed a suit against Capital Airlines (which later merged in 1961 with United Airlines), and in 1960 the Commission ruled in her favor and ordered the company to hire her. She has been acknowledged by the Black Flight Attendants of America, Inc. and was featured in an WNBC News segment for being a pioneer in her field.

Author

1. Banks, Patricia Noisette.

Title

1. Patricia Banks collection, 1957-1999.

Biography

1. One of the first black flight attendants, Patricia Banks, a native New Yorker, fought discrimination by filing a lawsuit against Capital Airlines through the New York State Commission Against Discrimination. A graduate of the Grace Downs Air Career School, Banks applied to several airlines companies for a stewardess position, but was repeatedly denied employment. In 1957 she filed a suit against Capital Airlines (which later merged in 1961 with United Airlines), and in 1960 the Commission ruled in her favor and ordered the company to hire her. She has been acknowledged by the Black Flight Attendants of America, Inc. and was featured in an WNBC News segment for being a pioneer in her field.

Connect to:

1. Finding Aid

Local subject

1. Black author.

Research call number

1. Sc MG 697