“Meet Captain Dominique Leonard-Curry: One of Only Nine Black Female Captains at American Airlines”
In a world where the skies should belong to everyone, representation still has a long way to go. That’s why it’s a big deal, a really big deal when someone like Captain Dominique Leonard-Curry steps into the cockpit.
She’s officially the 9th Black female Captain at American Airlines, a company with over 15,000 pilots on its roster. That number alone should make you pause. Out of thousands—only nine look like her.And she’s not just flying planes. She’s flying the flag for visibility, change, and possibility.
So, Who is Captain Curry?
She’s a proud daughter of Jeffersonville, Indiana, who first fell in love with aviation at church when she met a pilot from UPS. That moment sparked something powerful.
By age 14, she was attending aviation camps. At 16, she was flying planes. And somehow, she balanced it all with sports, music, and school leadership.
She Didn’t Stop There.
She earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Aviation Science from the prestigious Purdue University. Before flying commercial jets, she served as a flight instructor and college lecturer, helping guide future pilots—many of whom had never seen a Black woman in that space.
In May 2022, she joined American Airlines. Today, she commands an Airbus out of Washington D.C. (DCA).
But That’s Just One Part of Her Story.
Captain Curry is also a wife, a mother of three daughters (ages 14, 9, and 7), and an active mentor to young aviators. She helps run the Sisters of the Skies social media committee, and she works with AA’s recruitment team to bring more diversity into the flight deck.
She’s a real-life superhero—managing home, career, faith, and community without missing a beat. She travels, writes, cheers on her girls in gymnastics and sports, and keeps lifting others while she climbs.
Why This Matters?
Because Black women make up less than 1%—some say less than 0.1%—of the pilot population. Captain Curry’s journey is not just about her. It’s about every young Black girl who now knows this dream is possible because someone made it visible.
She’s not just flying planes. She’s changing flight paths. And that deserves to be celebrated.
✈️💫 #RepresentationMatters
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#FlyLikeAGirl
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#DiversityInTheCockpit
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#SheDidThat
#InspiringNextGen
#BlackGirlMagic
