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This Black Pilot is Flying with a Mission of Diversity

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Despite the limited amount of African Americans in the cockpit, Stanislaus said now is the time for people of color to join the pilot ranks. “There is about to be a mass exodus of commercial pilots, and their spots will need to be filled,” he said. “African Americans should know that this is possible for them,” Stanislaus said.

Published

6 years ago

October 7, 2019

Oakland Post

Jerome Stanislaus, a Brooklyn-born father of two, said although he dreamed of becoming a pilot, he never believed he would. And, that belief stemmed from a blunt observation: "I had never seen a black pilot," he said.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor
@StacyBrownMedia

Walking onto an airplane and seeing a black pilot is as rare as a blood moon sighting.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that of the approximately 690,000 active certificated pilots in the U.S., less than 3 percent are African American.

While a blood moon occurs about every two years, Jerome Stanislaus often takes the pilot’s seat in the cockpit of a private aircraft.

He pilots friends, family members, and others from New York to Philadelphia.

Sometimes, he flies further south to Virginia.

And, there are occasions where he traverses the skies above the Big Apple on a traffic-beating short flight to Long Island.

“Right now, I’m in San Antonio going through Flight Engineer School in the Airforce for the C5 Galaxy,” Stanislaus said.

The C5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft.

“It’s a huge cargo plane, and I would like to continue training to make it [as a commercial airline pilot] when I am done with this school,” Stanislaus said.

Despite the limited amount of African Americans in the cockpit, Stanislaus said now is the time for people of color to join the pilot ranks.

“There is about to be a mass exodus of commercial pilots, and their spots will need to be filled,” he said.

“African Americans should know that this is possible for them,” Stanislaus said.

The Brooklyn-born father of two said although he dreamed of becoming a pilot, he never believed he would. And, that belief stemmed from a blunt observation: “I had never seen a black pilot,” he said.

Earlier this year, Stanislaus began donating his free time to a nonprofit that helps racially diverse children and young adults explore their interest in flying.

“My family has always been extremely supportive of my flying. I have two daughters, and they have their dreams and flying isn’t one of them,” Stanislaus said. “As far as they are concerned they don’t need to be pilots if I can just fly them where they want to go,” he said.

After graduating high school, Stanislaus trained to become an aircraft mechanic in the Marine Corps.

Later, he earned a degree in airport management and then went to work as a school teacher.

Flying, however, remained his foremost passion.

He signed up for flight lessons and, in 2015, Stanislaus took his first solo flight on a Piper Warrior II single-engine plane.

While he doesn’t own a plane yet, Stanislaus said that is a dream that will one day become a reality.

It also makes sense because of the number of free flights he’s doled out to family and friends. He said he’s focused on saving money and he’s started a Go Fund Me to help expedite the process.

“The demand for what I offer is growing and renting no longer makes the most sense. In the long run, buying a plane is the most cost-effective course of action, so that is where I am focusing my money,” he said.

Stanislaus hopes to raise $50,000, and officials at GoFundMe have reached into their pockets, too.

“As part of our Gives Back program, we’re grateful for the chance to donate to campaigns that have touched us,” GoFundMe officials wrote on Stanislaus’ page. They donated $750 toward his goal.

Flying isn’t the only sky-high activity Stanislaus enjoys.

He’s also a licensed skydiver.

“In April 2014, I went on my first skydive for my [ex] girlfriend’s birthday,” Stanislaus said. “I was really calm and excited until I got into the plane and it started to leave the ground. During the climb, I had this internal fear that intensified tremendously, but I was calm externally,” he said.

When the door opened, Stanislaus said he could no longer “keep it together.”

“I began to freak out. All of my dignity, pride, and masculinity went out the door,” Stanislaus said.

“It was hands down, the scariest moment of my life.”

He later found the courage to complete the jump and then began searching drop zones to other jumps.

“I saw myself living myself to the fullest and inspiring others to do the same. Most importantly, I saw myself finding the courage to face the biggest fear in my life and enjoying the fuck out of it,” he said.

“My ultimate goal in life is to inspire others.”

To contribute to Stanislaus’ GoFundMe, click here.

Oakland Post

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LIVE from the NMA Convention Raheem DeVaughn Says The Time Is Now: Let’s End HIV in Our Communities #2

Set against the backdrop of the NMA conference, Executive Officers from the National Medical Association, Grammy Award Winning Artist and Advocate Raheem DeVaughn, and Gilead Sciences experts, are holding today an important conversation on HIV prevention and health equity. Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event […]

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event is designed to uplift voices, explore barriers to access, and increase awareness and key updates about PrEP, a proven prevention method that remains underutilized among Black women. This timely gathering will feature voices from across health, media, and advocacy as we break stigma and center equity in HIV prevention.

Additional stats and information to know:

● Black women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, with Black women representing more than 50% of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S. in 2022, despite comprising just 13% of women in the U.S.

● Women made up only 8% of PrEP users despite representing 19% of all new HIV diagnoses in 2022.

● Gilead Sciences is increasing awareness and addressing stigma by encouraging regular HIV testing and having judgment-free conversations with your healthcare provider about prevention options, including oral PrEP and long-acting injectable PrEP options.

● PrEP is an HIV prevention medication that has been available since 2012.

● Only 1 in 3 people in the U.S. who could benefit from PrEP were prescribed a form of PrEP in 2022.

Oakland Post

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TRUMP: “Washington, D.C. is Safe”

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

By Apriil Ryan
BlackPressUSA Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent

“Washington, D.C. is safe,” President Trump declared from the Oval Office today. Those words came while Trump was hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the question-and-answer session, which primarily focused on a peace deal in the Russian-Ukrainian war, Trump explained, “You did that in four days.” He was speaking of how fast the National Guard quelled the violence in what was once called Chocolate City.

The President deployed the National Guard to D.C. a week ago, to a city with reduced crime rates over the previous year. Violent crime dropped by 26%, marking the lowest level in 30 years. Homicides also fell by 11%.

President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Trump reinforced his claim about the newly acquired safety in D.C. by relaying that a friend’s son is attending dinner in D.C., something he would not have done last year.

After the president finished his comments, a reporter/commentator in the room with close connections to Marjorie Taylor Greene jumped into the high-level conversation to affirm the president’s comments, saying, “I walked around yesterday with MTG. If you can walk around D.C. with MTG and not be attacked, this city is safe.”

That reporter was the same person who chastised President Zelenskyy months ago during his first Oval Office meeting with Trump for not wearing a business suit. Zelenskyy, a wartime President, has been clad in less formal attire to reflect the country’s current war stance against Russia.

Without any sourcing, President Trump also said, “People that haven’t gone out to dinner in Washington, D.C., in two years are going out to dinner, and the restaurants the last two days have been busier than they’ve been in a long time.”

The increase in policing in Washington, D.C. is because a 19-year-old former Doge employee was carjacked in the early hours of the morning recently.

Oakland Post

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Rising Energy Costs Weigh Heaviest on Black Households

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

A new national study from Binghamton University and California State University, San Bernardino, finds that Black households spend a far larger share of their income on energy compared to white households, even when income levels are the same. “We often say that African Americans suffer more, but we often blame it just on income. And the reality is, there is something more there,” study author George Homsy, associate professor at Binghamton University, wrote. “It’s not just because they tend to be poor. There is something that’s putting them at a disadvantage. I think what happened is it happens to be where they live.” The study, published in Energy Research & Social Science, analyzed 65,000 census tracts across the United States. It found that while the average American household spends about 3.2% of income on energy bills, households in the majority African American census tracts spend an average of 5.1%.

Homsy and researcher Ki Eun Kang point to the age and condition of housing stock, along with lower homeownership rates, as key drivers. Their research concludes that “energy burden is not simply a matter of income or energy cost but also race, which might be driven by place.” Older, less energy-efficient housing and high rental rates in Black communities mean residents often cannot make upgrades like improved insulation or new appliances, locking families into higher bills.

Tradeoffs and Health Risks

The consequences go beyond money. Families forced to spend 10% or more of their income on energy — what experts classify as “unmanageable” — may cut back on food, medicine, or other essentials. More than 12 million U.S. households report leaving their homes at unsafe temperatures to reduce costs, while millions more fall behind on utility bills. The health effects are severe. High energy burdens increase risks of asthma, depression, poor sleep, pneumonia, and even premature death. The issue is especially acute for African Americans, who are disproportionately exposed to housing and environmental conditions that amplify these risks.

Washington, D.C.: A Case Study

In Washington, D.C., the problem is particularly stark. A recent analysis by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) shows that SNAP-eligible households spend more than 20% of their income on energy bills. Across the metro area, nearly two-thirds of low-income households devote over 6% of their income to energy, and 40% face what researchers call a “severe financial strain,” paying more than 10%. Pepco, the District’s primary electricity provider, has implemented three consecutive annual rate hikes, pushing the average household bill to $114 per month as of January 2025. Shutoffs have followed — nearly 12,000 customers lost service in 2024, with disconnections doubling after a summer rate hike. Washington Gas has also sought a 12% rate increase and pushed a controversial $215 million pipeline replacement project, rebranded as “District SAFE.” The plan could ultimately cost D.C. households an additional $45,000 each over several decades, or nearly $1,000 annually added to bills.

Historical Roots

Researchers argue that these inequities are not accidental but rooted in history. The ScienceDirect study reveals that African American communities living in formerly redlined neighborhoods continue to face disadvantages today — from poor housing quality to higher climate risks. Homsy says policymakers must make targeted efforts. “It is harder to get to rental units where a lot of poor people live,” he noted. “We need to work harder to get into these communities of color.”