They are part of a 138-feet-long, 41-feet-high piece of art that will fly in Alaska’s fleet for up to 10 years to symbolize Alaska’s own equity journey and our collective commitment to education in partnership with organizations like UNCF.

Profiles of 14 students — family members and mentees of Alaska’s employees – are represented on the aircraft. Recently, these remarkable young people have shared their reflections on equity and education, in their own words:

“Equity is something a kid can’t control, yet could possibly affect their entire future,” says Shilah, 11th grade. “Every child deserves an equal opportunity to be able to succeed, and you only get that when you have an equal playing field.”

“Knowledge is power. If you have knowledge, you can change the world. You can make it a better place and that’s what we really need to do,” says Dominique, 11th grade.

“Equity challenges the imbalances and power within our society,” says Alexis, sophomore at Whitworth University. “Equity is not about making sure that everybody has the same amount. It’s about making sure that everybody has the same start.”

Learn more about the children, grandchildren and mentees of Alaska’s employees featured on our newest special aircraft

Represented in order of how they appear on the aircraft from nose to tail.

JADE

DAUGHTER OF SARAH, DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION SPECIALIST (SEA)

Jade is featured at the front of the aircraft just before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s quote. She is a linguistics major at the University of Washington and has studied Spanish, Portuguese and Swahili. She is also fluent in German, which she taught herself in just three years by watching YouTube videos and reading books.

“I’ve always been captivated by foreign languages. When I was younger, growing up in Seattle, I’d always be surrounded by different cultures and languages and was curious to know what they were saying,” said Jade. “So, when I figured out linguistics was a field and something I could study in university. I was like, ‘that’s it,’ and I haven’t changed my mind since.”

Her mom, Sarah, who has been a customer service agent and manager at the Seattle airport and lounge, and leads Alaska’s Black employee resource group, is inspired by her daughter’s willingness to never give up and to look at all the steps, no matter how hard they are, and go for it.

“Jade is an example of what happens when you don’t block your kids from doing the things they think of — and kids can think of some pretty ridiculous things — like when she told me she wanted to learn German. I remember saying to myself, ‘Why, you’ve already done four years of Spanish?’ But she had this idea and not only that but teaching herself. Inside, I had doubts, but I didn’t say anything, and if I had, I wonder if she would have had doubts too and not be where she’s at today? I’ve learned as a parent not to put barriers in front of children and let them be whoever they want to be,” Sarah said.

ELLE

DAUGHTER OF FRANCHESSA, ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANT (LAX)

Elle is a freshman in Long Beach, California. She is on the high school track and field team and says she feels the freest when running. After graduation, she hopes to attend Howard University or another HBCU.

She also enjoys playing Minecraft and creating on TikTok. She says her biggest influences are her mom and actress Zendaya because they are “strong, beautiful and talented.”

“I always caution her never to limit herself,” her mom, Franchessa said. “‘Go out there and get it,’ I tell her. As females, and Black females, we are already limited, so I tell her to make herself as marketable as possible. I think that’s one of the reasons I named her Elle. I have two kids and named them their names for a reason — Because I didn’t want them to be limited by anything if I could help it. I didn’t want them to be stereotyped or have less opportunity. I wanted it to be as even playing ground as possible — school especially should give every kid a fair start.”

LONDON

MENTEE OF KIM, ALASKA AIRLINES FIRST OFFICER (SEA)

London grew up fascinated by the planes she could see from her house as they took off from Boeing Field and Renton Municipal Airport. By age 14, she was immersed in aerospace education programs — and now, she has her own private pilot’s license and plans on graduating from the Air Force Academy in 2025.
“I want to get a degree in either aerospace engineering or computer science, and probably a minor in French, and pilot slot through the Air Force too,” she said.

She is currently at the Air Force Academy Preparatory School in Colorado Springs, and has high hopes of flying jets, following in the footsteps of her mentor, Alaska Airlines First Officer Kim Ford.

“I’m glad that I have had the opportunity to be a part of flying organizations like Red Tailed Hawks through Black Pilots of America and fly camps where I get to see other people that look like me flying,” said London. “Internships are also important for kids my age to learn, grow and gain experience and great mentors, like Kim. Making sure there are opportunities like that is so valuable and has helped me and my other pilot friends get to where we are at today.”

SHIMONE

SON OF GLORIA, ALASKA AIRLINES RESERVATION AGENT (PHX)

Shimone, 15, is a high school freshman in Arizona. He loves football and has played the game since he could pick up a ball. “He is a great sport on and off the field,” says his mom.

Gloria, a reservations agent in Phoenix, says Shimone is shy but very sweet and kind. When he’s not playing football as a defensive back, he is doing schoolwork online or playing PlayStation. He also attends Bible study at least once a week.

Shimone is one of nine brothers and three sisters—who he loves to play pranks on, says Gloria. “He’s a very good big brother and mentor. I just remind him to work on his mindset and always stay focused and that education is the key to success.”

“Shimone inspires me because he’s so mature for his age, he makes me laugh and is such a big helper. His heart is just so sweet like he’s just very kind and I love it.” – Gloria

When Shimone grows up, he’s thinking about becoming a fireman.

SHILAH

DAUGHTER OF SHIRAH, ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANT (LAX)

Shilah, 16, aspires to have a career in STEM. She loves computer science, graphic design and crochets for fun. When she’s not doing schoolwork, she loves playing golf with her dad, Devon—he taught her everything she knows about the sport. Ever since she picked up a club, she’s enjoyed the critical and technical thinking required to make every stroke and putt. When she graduates, she hopes to attend MIT.

“I’m a very artsy person, but I’m also very meticulous with my work, so I like certain things and subjects like math and science that have an order to it. I want to be a software developer or just like graphic design. I want to mix the two worlds I enjoy into one, so I can have a career I enjoy,” Shilah said.

Shilah’s mom, Shirah, an Alaska Airlines flight attendant, says her daughter is like her ‘yang’ and has helped her to think differently.

“My generation was raised completely different than her generation, so she’s taught me to be a little bit more open-minded and open to learning new things her way,” Shirah said. “Just because we are the parents doesn’t mean that there’s not an opportunity for us to sit back and learn from our kids. She’s taught me not to just be the parent, but to also be the student with her.”

MICAH

SON OF JONNY, ART DESIGNER OF OUR COMMITMENT AIRCRAFT

Micah, 22, is a 2020 graduate of the Air Force Academy. He is now a 2nd Lieutenant and is beginning his journey to becoming a pilot.
At the Academy, Micah studied economics and played Division I football and later took up boxing and was named All-American. He is currently stationed in San Antonio, Texas, awaiting pilot training. He looks forward to flying the T-6 Texan later this year.

Micah was inspired to go into the military because of his grandfather on his biological father’s side, who earned a Purple Heart while serving in the Vietnam War. Jonny, Micah’s dad and one of Alaska’s Our Commitment aircraft designers, has been in Micah’s life since he was two years old.

“My Dad’s taught me empathy and patience and that being different makes you special,” says Micah, who is biracial. “Growing up, having two white parents, I usually had to explain myself to new people and could see the shock on their faces … what a lot of biracial kids experience is like ‘you’re not black enough for the black kids and not white enough for the white kids’ and you are always kind of looked at a little bit different. I’m thankful I’m able to embrace those differences now and look at them as a positive.”

“Micah’s dedication is just beyond anything I’ve ever seen,” Jonny said. “He’s always been the kid who wakes up early to go workout, leaves school and trains and did all of the things necessary to be above and beyond. And that’s been something I learned and changed about myself after seeing it in him and try to emulate in my own career today.”

ARTHUR

SON OF MACARA, ALASKA AIRLINES TRAINING DELIVERY SPECIALIST (SEA)

Arthur is in 8th grade and was just accepted to an aviation and aerospace STEM high school. His greatest love is aeronautics and space exploration. He also enjoys creating models using his 3D printer—his favorite creations are his custom chess pieces. His biggest dream is to fly in space. Arthur holding custom 3-D chess pieces he designed.

“We walk on the ground and can only see birds in the sky or planes. So, I think it’s fun to be able to think of what space is like and what it’s like to get off your feet and fly like an astronaut — like a bird in the sky but figuring out everything to make sure that you can stay in the air and everything that goes into that process excites me,” said Arthur.

“He wants to build a cruise ship in space or in the sky one day, and you know, that’s OK,” Macara said. “I tell him it’s OK to think farfetched and beyond what people think because the greatest creators are usually the ones who achieve what we all once believed to be impossible. He just amazes me and thinks in a different way that encourages me to be patient and expand my mind a little bit more too.”

BRANDON

SON OF RON, ALASKA AIRLINES BASE CHIEF PILOT (SEA)

After traveling to Europe with his family during the 2010 World Cup games, Brandon caught the soccer bug and is now a sophomore at the University of Portland, living out his Division I dream as a goalkeeper for the men’s soccer team.

“He’s a goalkeeper and that makes him a little crazy. Goalkeepers have to run toward the ball instead of running away from the ball,” his dad, Ron, Alaska base chief pilot in Seattle, said jokingly. “They have a great program and are a nationally ranked team, so when he was recruited, that was cool. I’m very proud of him.”

Ron says his kids, who are biracial, have what they call ‘this half and half hybrid thing going on, which is awesome.’ He says the important thing is when they see themselves, they see what is important: “whatever they want to see.”

“When they asked us what color they were — once you discover you have a color … so awful, right? — You get this, label of color, and my kids are mixed, so they asked what color? ‘Well, my dad is Black, my mom’s white.’ And we’ve always said, ‘you’re just the color beautiful,’ and that’s where we left it for years,” said Ron, father of both Brandon and Cameron.

CAMERON

SON OF RON, ALASKA AIRLINES BASE CHIEF PILOT (SEA)

Cameron attends Washington State University, where he majors in broadcast journalism and works three jobs. When he graduates in the spring of 2021, he’s thinking about moving to New York City to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, specifically for late-night talk shows. His favorites are The Daily with Trevor Noah and the Week Update segment on Saturday Night Live.

“My guys — they are blazing their own trails. They deal with situations that I never dealt with, being mixed race, so I try to help them, but I also respect the fact that I don’t live in their shoes. I don’t know what it’s like to be them. I can empathize and we can talk, and they always know they’ll have unconditional love from me, so that makes it so much easier. But they also realize, and I let him know, that they will never be victims. They may be targeted sometimes, but we are never, ever going to be a victim.”

DOMINIQUE

GRANDDAUGHTER OF HILDA, ALASKA AIRLINES STATION OPERATIONS DUTY MANAGER (SEA)

Dominique is in 11th grade in South Seattle. She loves water polo, literature and working with children at a daycare in South Seattle. She plans to attend an HBCU and aspires to have a career in social work.

“I really enjoy being around kids, like I really do. I love my little sister. I love all the kids that are at the daycare that I work at,” says Dominique.

Her dream is to attend Morgan State University in Baltimore or Howard University in Washington, D.C. because of their social work and psychology programs.
“My favorite subject right now is a college readiness class. We work on applications, resumes and what’s best for us and what we’re doing right now to be successful later on,” she said.

“It’s been beautiful to see her flourish and to watch her grow. She’s so used to fighting and working so hard that it’s just become a part of her. I’ve never seen anyone so determined to win,” said her grandmother, Hilda, who is a station operations duty manager in Seattle.

ALEXIS

DAUGHTER OF JOHN-ANTONY, ALASKA AIRLINES SENIOR TEST MANAGER (SEA)

Alexis is currently a sophomore at Whitworth University. She is double majoring in International Studies and French, with aspirations of going into law. She is passionate about policy and what policy can do to change lives. She also enjoys poetry and roller skating with her friends.

When asked what the most influential thing is that she’s learned from her dad, John-Antony Dubreuil, a leader in ABEA, Alaska’s Black employee resource group and ITS senior test manager, is ‘the power of hard work.’

“I know that sounds really cheesy and it sounds like the go-to answer that every minority student will ever say but it’s true — it’s hard work that gets you places, and being diligent. I think it’s also important to think critically about various subjects. Like not to just accept things as they are but seek to understand why they are how they are and what you can do to change it.”

“Education is important because ignorance brings pain. It brings a lot of hurt and a lack of empathy and compassion for people of different backgrounds and different cultures. Education plays a huge a role in learning what’s what and a holistic education teaches you about so many different things,” Alexis said.

KADEN

SON OF KAREN, FORMER ALASKA AIRLINES DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (SEA)

Kaden is a high school sophomore and a member of the school’s bowling club and the Special Olympics swim team. Kaden is on the autism spectrum and was non-verbal until he was 6 years old. These days, you can’t get him to stop talking––his favorite thing to say is “I love you, Mommy.”

“I want Kaden to have the same opportunities that anyone else has. I want him to have the life that his sister has. I want him to graduate high school in the same amount of time as other students … I want him taking the classes that everybody else is taking. It’s important for me because I never want anyone to give up on my son,” she said.

Kaden is a straight A student and loves his classes, and his teachers adore him.

“Equity is really important, because regardless of the differences he has or his learning ability, he is thriving and I believe that is because of equity,” says Karen.

KYRA

DAUGHTER OF KAREN, FORMER ALASKA AIRLINES DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (SEA)

Kyra is a high school senior and plays basketball at an academy in Florida. She hopes to continue playing in college and has been accepted to all of her college choices for academics.

“Honestly, I just want to be my best self if that makes sense like wherever life takes me. If basketball is not a part of it or is, I just want to live out my life to its fullest potential. Like I don’t want to limit myself,” she said. “I would just like to be successful at whatever I do in life, like my mom who has built her way up in her career and I think it’s so impressive and I just want to be like her.”

Kyra is passionate about representation, especially within education. She helped organize a Black student union at her previous high school and likes how her new school has many clubs to represent minorities.

“I felt like I really belong here, like I’m at home even though I’m across the country away from my family,” she said. “Equity in the classroom leads to how people start out in their professional lives — when they go to college or enter the business world. It’s important to know where someone is coming from and what makes them who they are.”

Her mom, Karen, was part of the group who started on the path to designing Our Commitment aircraft.

JONATHAN

SON OF JOHN-ANTONY, ALASKA AIRLINES SENIOR TEST MANAGER (SEA)

Jonathan is currently a freshman at the University of Washington, majoring in communications. He loves coordinating social events with his friends and listening to jazz music. He also speaks French and Spanish.

Jonathan thinks education should be looked at with circular logic.

“Education in many ways is correlated to a paycheck and the higher your education, the more you typically are paid — it’s what you can do with that money that matters. If that money could be pumped back into your community, it could open so many more doors and the rest of your community could have the opportunity to be educated.”

Growing up, Jonathan and his family practiced Karate. He says he learned a lot of life lessons from it.

“Something my dad says a lot, when we did karate that still resonates with me, is ‘practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect performance.’ And, like this plane, it’s a great start but its impact will depend on the actions put into it.”

To be a Black travel professional in today’s industry still comes with microaggressions and bias even in 2021. Fighting for equal opportunities, pay and the need to constantly break negative stereotypes toward people of color can be emotionally exhausting. But as a diversity travel consultant, I understand there’s an opportunity for the industry to create a reality where everyone sees themselves, feels they belong and can be their absolute best. It takes admitting there is a problem, awareness of all people and a commitment to change and support from leadership, and progressive plans of action. Celebrating diversity isn’t always easy or comfortable, but in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The time is always right, to do what’s right.”

When I first saw Alaska Airlines’ Our Commitment aircraft, my cheeks blushed and my eyes filled with tears. I was so overwhelmed by the magnitude of what I was seeing. For the first time as a Black woman, avid traveler, and passionate advocate for diversity in the travel industry, I was speechless at what I saw on my computer screen. The only word I could utter out was ‘WOW.’ All I could think to myself was, ‘all it takes is one plane.’

All it takes is one plane to change the narrative. A narrative that celebrates Black contributions — acknowledging how our differences and voices have helped shape more welcoming corporate cultures — on the plane, in the cockpit, and in flight. All it takes is one plane to change how we, the Black community, see ourselves represented in inflight information, entertainment and programming.

As the daughter of an airline employee, I’ve flown avidly for over 25 years. I’ve seen many aircraft designs from Disney characters to NFL teams, but never one like this. From the plane’s exceptional design to its overall significance, I walked into the hanger, extremely grateful for the opportunity to experience such a moment. A moment created from a 15+ year partnership between Alaska and UNCF to celebrate both education and the chance to experience a good one.

When Alaska revealed the plane, it was incredible. I mentally took note of each child’s face as they found their profile on the plane, and the feeling we all felt was priceless. ‘’How does it feel to see yourself?‘’ I asked Dominique, a student featured on the plane. ‘’This is so cool. I’m excited!’’ she replied. Like Dominique, I am an Oakland native; it was like looking at myself in the mirror. Dominique says she hopes to attend Morgan State University, a Historically Black College in Baltimore, which ironically holds a special place in my heart. Morgan State was my first job out of graduate school, teaching in the fashion department as the youngest professor on campus at age 25. Her passion, excitement and interest in the HBCU experience became a full-circle moment for me when she asked, ‘’What is the best part about attending an HBCU?’’ I thought about it, and told her how she knows being from Oakland, a lot of kids don’t get the opportunity to go far due to lack of resources, so seeing Black students who want to be at school and are serious about their education is the best and most rewarding part.

Since the start of its partnership with UNCF, Alaska and its guests have contributed more than 13.4 million miles to fly students to HBCUs for college tours, career development events and other UNCF programs. As part of the Our Commitment aircraft, Alaska will also be donating one million miles annually to support students attending HBCUs and established a scholarship fund through UNCF to help students overcome the financial obstacles of getting a college education. As an HBCU alum of North Carolina A&T State University, I understand how much of an impact this has on students and their families or support systems. As a California native, attending college on the East Coast, I saw my classmates have to stay on campus during breaks because their families couldn’t afford the plane tickets home. I’ve seen students transfer to closer institutions because paying for flights wasn’t easy for some families. This initiative indeed changes lives and gives access to those students who are our future leaders and game-changers.

The reveal was mind-blowing, but my anticipation of flying on its special charter flight on Monday, April 26, before it enters passenger service the following day, is high! Never before have I seen an all-Black crew or have had the opportunity to experience a journey that is 90% filled with Black passengers.

During the reveal, I met Alaska First Officer Christopher Jones, who told me on a route back to Baltimore last week for the first time in his two-year Alaska career, he and another Black pilot were in the cockpit. He said he felt so proud in that moment, and I know it’s exactly how I will feel. For the first time, I know I will feel completely comfortable on a plane. I know I can be myself. Nobody will ask to touch my hair; nobody will be shocked that I, a Black woman, travels as frequently as I do. I don’t have to experience someone not wanting to sit next to me because of the color of my skin (yes, it happens). Nobody will say, “you speak so well and poised,’’ as if that is shocking. And to top it all off, I will be on a plane with the 14 Black faces of the children, grandchildren and mentees of Alaska’s employees featured on the aircraft. A dream I don’t have to wake up from.

Alaska might have more work ahead to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, but still, it is clear to me they are committed to creating a culture of belonging and opportunity for its guests, employees and communities. Working in this industry, I can quickly identify when a brand is performative, and I am proud to say nothing about this initiative is that. I sincerely feel like ‘’Alaska gets it, and that is one of the best feelings in the world. Alaska says the aircraft symbolizes their journey to making Alaska a place where everyone feels like they belong. For me, it symbolizes a shift in the industry where a brand is willing to step up and lead by example. That is impeccable, and the bar has been set. All it takes is one plane to change the narrative.

Related:

Long before Beyoncé brought Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to center stage at Coachella, experiences alike were cultivated by trailblazers centuries before and continue toward a more equitable future.

HBCUs were created out of necessity at a time when Blacks in America were prohibited from attending higher education institutions that were predominantly white. Today, there are now 107 HBCUs that provide education for students from all socio-economic backgrounds while continuing the legacy and commitment to Black education.

‘HBCUs are the embodiment of legacy, history and Black excellence.’

HBCUs have been a vehicle and driving force in the fight for equality and liberation. From freedom fighters to world-renowned writers, from aeronautical math geniuses to the Vice President of the United States. Some of the world’s most notable legends, leaders and innovators have emerged from these institutions.

‘I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.’

I am a first-generation college graduate. My HBCU experience was immensely transformative. Not only because I finally had professors who looked like me, but because they taught me what was waiting for me on the other side and prepared me for the road ahead.

“A Past to Cherish. A Future to Fulfill” is the motto of my alma mater, the “Unsinkable,” Albany State University. Those words resonate every time I drive down Georgia Highway 300 — a road that used to be lined with cotton fields and dotted with plantations that once housed enslaved people.

The saying honors our past and people whose blood was shed and lives were lost in those fields. It’s a reminder to be eternally grateful for those who came before us, those who weren’t afforded the right to an education. Even if they, the people who diligently fought for those rights themselves, never saw the fruits of their fervent labor.

‘I wanted to be surrounded by people like me, my culture.’

I didn’t learn about HBCUs through legacy or lineage. In fact, I didn’t have a frame of reference for college at all. I learned about them through the television show A Different World. I didn’t know much, but I knew I wanted to attend a university like Hillman, the fictional HBCU portrayed in the series. As someone who grew up in a small, predominantly white town in Northwest Georgia, I wanted to experience something different.

Vice President, and HBCU graduate Kamala Harris, said it best, “What you learn at an HBCU is you do not have to fit into somebody’s limited perspective on what it means to be young, gifted and Black.”

It was at Albany State University, a school affiliated with UNCF, where teachers like Dr. Bennett, my business communications professor, demanded excellence and nothing less. Mediocracy wasn’t an option because she knew I would have to fight twice as hard to get half as much as other individuals. She was hard on her students because she knew the world would not be easy on us.

Then, there were professors like Mr. Hankerson, my English lit professor who was also my first Black male teacher. The gravity of that alone is astounding.

It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college when I experienced the academic scope through a Black male teacher’s lens — a lens that defied society’s stereotypes of who and what a Black man represents. He was a man of the arts, with a palpable passion for literature. He was my favorite professor by far, simply for his ability to get you so entranced in the literature through his own unique storytelling and spinning the stories in a way that made it relatable to modern-day life. He challenged me to be a better writer and a better storyteller.

Albany State provided me a sense of belonging. It was a place where I could shed the layers of assimilation and the idea of fitting into whatever box I was expected to be in. I realized the viable impact of being taught by teachers who looked like me and the importance of Black role models who paved paths before me who now lead prominent positions.

‘I finally felt I could fully thrive and rid myself from feeling like my blackness was a burden or my existence was a threat to society.’

Representation matters. The defining moments of my HBCU experience were the life lessons that weren’t a part of the syllabus; the history not found in the text books. It was the community and the we’re in this togetherness that forged lifelong friendships and redefined what it meant to be family. This was my HBCU experience. One I wouldn’t trade for the world, and one I encourage all young Black students to consider experiencing for themselves.

The sky is the limit

Beyond the curriculum, Albany State is where I was introduced to the world of international travel through a college program that stationed students on American military bases around the globe as camp counselors.

My first flight was at the age of 21. I flew to Germany, where I lived for three months. It was a life-changing experience that led me to live the travel-loving, location-independent lifestyle I do today. My mission is to empower and inspire other young, Black travelers to do the same.

It is programs like this and Alaska Airlines’ LIFT Miles program, in partnership with UNCF, that affords HBCU students the opportunities to pursue their dreams. I would have never been able to financially afford such an experience had my college program not sponsored me, and I know so many other students can relate. For this, I am forever thankful for the programs that put minority college students in a position to reach new heights.

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I especially love Alaska’s UNCF LIFT Miles program because it has consistently showed up for minority students over the past 15 years and counting. Not only does the program support HBCU students with flights home for the holidays, but they fly students to college tours at HBCUs, career development opportunities and other UNCF programs.

With over 7 million miles contributing and donated, Alaska’s flights help students overcome the financial obstacles of getting a college education.