Today we honor Remoshay Nelson, the first Black woman to serve in the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, the elite demonstration team. Since their founding in 1953, 332 pilots have been named to the Thunderbirds squadron, and 12 have been Black men. Capt. Nelson is the squadron’s public affairs officer.

“My hope is that while I have been labeled a first, I won’t be the last because I want to show young girls what the possibilities are out there whether it’s a leadership role, whether it’s serving in the military, anything they want to do they can become exactly that, as long as, they work hard and put their minds to it.” — Capt. Nelson

It’s Black History Month, and we’re very excited to use our platform to spotlight the many contributions from people of color, ranging from creators to politicians to sports figures to social justice advocates and more. This month, keep an eye on GALE as we curate stories and highlight the changemakers who are pushing boundaries and making history happen as we speak.