15 year-old is youngest African American girl to fly cross-country

Fifteen year-old Kimberly Anyadike of Los Angeles flew across the country in 13 days (making about a dozen stops) with 87 year-old Tuskegee Airman Levi Thornhill.

Anyadike learned to fly a plane and helicopter when she was 12 with the Compton-based Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, which offers aviation lessons to at-risk youth and economically disadvantaged students through an after-school program.

“I wanted to inspire other kids to really believe in themselves,” Amuadole said. She also wanted to honor the Tuskegee Airmen, the U.S. Army Air Corps’ all-black combat unit that served during World War II.

“They left such a great legacy. I had big shoes to fill,” she said. “All they wanted to do was to be patriots for this country. They were told no, that they were stupid, that they didn’t have cognitive development to fly planes. They didn’t listen. They just did what they wanted to do.”

A pretty awesome accomplishment and our pick for Pretty Tough girl of the week.

Williams’ sisters, WNBA players nominated for BET Female Athlete of the Year

The 2009 BET Awards will be hosted by Jamie Foxx and aired live from Los Angeles, California on June 28th.

So who will walk away with the “Best Female Athlete”? Will your pick for “Best Actress” make her way to the podium? Find out when artists and trailblazers all gather under one roof to celebrate the achievements of the most influential African Americans in music, acting, sports and entertainment.

Beyonce, always a showstopper, is back this year for her sixth BET Awards performance.

We’re closely watching the Female Athlete of the Year contest. Nominees are an All-Star list including the tennis-playing Williams sisters along with WNBA players Tamika Catchings, Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker. These fierce competitors are all at the top of their games, but only one can win.

In entertainment categories, Best Actress of the Year nominees include Angela Basset, Rosario Dawson,Taraji P. Henson, Jennifer Hudson and and BET performer Beyonce Knowles.

The Best Female Hip Hop Artist list includes Lil Mama, M.I.A. and Trina. The A-List group of divas duking it out for Best Female R&B Artist include Beyonce, Keyshia Cole, Keri Hilson, Jennifer Hudson and Jazmin Sullivan.

Keri Hilson, M.I.A. and Jazmin Sullivan are also up for Best New Artist.

Will your faves win? They’re all fierce divas and competitors worthy of a statue so tune in to the BET on June 28. Recognize excellence!

Maritza Correia – first African-American Olympic swimmer

In 2004, Maritza Correia became the first African-American woman to be on the U.S. Olympic swim team and first African-American woman ever to set an American record in swimming (50 y free).

A silver medalist in 400m free relay at the Athens Olympics, Correia is known for her ability to anchor relays with great success and run down opponents – “As soon as I dive in, my goal is to catch as many people as I can,” Correia said.

After a disappointing performance at the 2000 Olympic Trials, Correia almost quit the sport. However, with her teammates, coaches and her mother, Correia was convinced to give it another shot in 2004. “Looking back at 2000, I was a very inexperienced international swimmer, and changes needed to be made,” Correia said. “I knew that I had to make more national teams and more trips and gain some experience, which would help my confidence. ” She went on to break numerous SEC records, NCAA records, American records, and was continuously one of the top swimmers in her events.

Born two days before Christmas in 1983 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Correia began swimming  at age seven when her doctor recommended swimming as therapy for her severe scoliosis. The next year, her family moved to Tampa, Florida.  Correia attended the University of Georgia as a pre-medicine major and graduated in 2003, with a degree in “Exercise and Sports Science”.  She was a member of the Lady Bulldogs Swim Team.

Correia is featured in the film Parting the Waters - a documentary about a new generation of competitive black and Latino swimmers – and is prepping for the Beijing Olympics.  She also plans to do swim clinics in inner cities and deliver motivational lectures. Correia hopes that providing young minority girls with a swimming role model will be a key step in bringing the sport to their communities.