Writing to Reflect: Grounded

By Ayana Campbell |

Sunday, December 6, 2009

The event, A Pilot Lights the Way: Jesse Leroy Brown, First African-American Aviator & Blacks in Aviation, provided in conjunction with the Zora Institute, was free and open to the public. It consisted of a screening of a commemorative documentary to Jesse L. Brown.

Upon my arrival, I learned that the host was going to be late. After tiresome waiting, a man with a briefcase and a key in his hand zoomed passed me. Taking no time to introduce himself, he simply asked, “You guys here for the screening?” unlocked the door, and ushered us into the dimly lit room. Once seated in my chair, I observed the mysterious man fumbling with the monitor and video player equipment behind the podium. It was obvious that he wasn’t completely sure of how to work the technology. My classmate took it upon himself to lend the man a helping hand and was able to get the movie started.

The documentary, which was basically a narrated slideshow of black and white pictures, chronicled Jesse L. Brown’s life from his adolescent years growing up in Mississippi to his death at the age of twenty-four. After defying all odds and become the first African American naval aviator ever, his life was cut short when a plane he piloted was shot down over the Chosin Reservoir in 1950 during the Korean War.

The movie was effective in commemorating Brown’s life and emphasized the importance of his accomplishments. Its visuals were clear and appropriate to the topic at hand. The only interviews included were from Brown’s wife, Daisy, who spoke to his character with quotes and personal anecdotes. Her commentary was successful in making the presentation more personal, however, interviews from other people close to Brown would have added to the sincerity.and a narrator whose tone was more upbeat, as opposed to monotone like it was, would’ve made the presentation much better.

After watching the film, the host finally took the time to formally introduce himself. His name was Anthony Major and he held the title of program director at the Zora Neale Hurston Institute for Documentary Studies. His title and knowledge of the events surrounding Brown’s life and unfortunate death added credibility to the presentation and made up for many of its negative aspects.

Overall, A Pilot Lights the Way: Jesse Leroy Brown, First African-American Aviator & Blacks in Aviation, was effective in recognizing the lives and accomplishments of Jesse L. Brown and other influential African-American aviators, however, more planning and attention to details would have made the presentation a greater success.