In the Community
American Airlines has a long history of diversity and inclusion and continually works to celebrate African-American achievements, culture and history.
NAACP Image Awards
American proudly supports the NAACP Image Awards, the nation’s premier event celebrating the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts as well as those individuals or groups who promote social justice. Click here to view behind the scenes footage from 2012's awards show at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and here to see the red carpet photos in the BlackAtlas Facebook photo album.
American Airlines Hitting the Green to Help Haiti
American Airlines and American Eagle hosted the "Help for Haiti" Celebrity Golf Tournament, Saturday March 12, 2011 at the Sky Creek Ranch Golf Club in Keller, TX. The celebrity golf tournament was held in support of the Village of Vision for Haiti Foundation and their efforts to help the people of Haiti. A Friday night gala to kick-off the event took place Friday March 11, 2011, from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm, also at the Sky Creek Ranch Golf Club. The Friday night gala included dinner, a performance by entertainer Lou Cobon, and live and silent auctions.
Film and television actor Anthony Anderson, former football great Ed "Too Tall" Jones, actress Dawnn Lewis and Everson Walls were a few of the celebrities on hand for the tournament, which raised over $80,000 for the charity.
American Airlines Hosts 100 Young Men during the Steve Harvey Mentoring Weekend
For the second year in a row, American Airlines hosted entertainer Steve Harvey and more than 100 boys from Dallas and across the country at its Alliance Maintenance Base in Fort Worth (AFW) on June 19 during the Steve Harvey Mentoring Weekend.
More than 70 American Airlines volunteers, including African-American pilots and aircraft mechanics, were on hand to meet and mentor the boys, who learned about what it takes to become a pilot or an aircraft mechanic. The boys also learned about other careers in the aviation industry.
Harvey, an actor, comedian and best-selling author, created the Steve Harvey Mentoring Weekend to support boys who are being raised without a father in the home. Harvey called on celebrity friends, business leaders and corporate sponsors such as American Airlines to lead motivational sessions on fitness and health, getting ready for college, making the best impression and other areas of self development. Over the four-day weekend, the teens will also participate in activities such as tennis, fishing, golf and paintball.
"The real necessity for the mentorship program is the lack of fathers just being fathers," Harvey said. "If every father were to accept the challenge before him, there would be no need for mentoring. I myself had to grow and understand the difficulties that some fathers face. We need to find avenues that a man can take to finally fulfill his role as a father."
Check out the Video Above
American Airlines TV Spots Thank Military Service Members
As a gesture of gratitude and a tribute to those in uniform, veterans and their families, American Airlines is introducing two new television commercials, entitled, "Putting Them First," and "Thank You."
"Putting Them First" is about a young Marine, making her way through a busy gate area prior to boarding a flight. An American Airlines gate agent approaches to tell her the airlines is pre-boarding military passengers. As the Marine makes her way to the gate, she makes eye contact with an elderly veteran who rises, saluting her in perfect military form. She pauses, holds his gaze for a moment, then nods. The message is the following: "To those who put out country first, we're honored to do the same for you."
Check out the "Putting Them First" video above.
American Provides Transportation for 10th Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage to Alabama
American Airlines recently sponsored the 10th Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage to the Bridge Crossing Jubilee in Selma, Ala., a series of events to commemorate the epic struggle for civil rights in the United States. Events were held throughout the weekend of March 5-7 to mark the 45th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" and the historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery.
American provided transportation aboard its yellow-ribbon Flagship Freedom Boeing 757 aircraft from Washington, D.C., to Alabama for Congressional delegates and members of the Faith & Politics Institute, as part of the airline's ongoing commitment to honor all who serve. The delegation included Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), pilgrimage chairman, and honorary co-leaders Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and their families, as well as religious leaders, civil rights luminaries, journalists, labor leaders, and Faith & Politics Institute staff and board members.
"American Airlines is proud of its history of diversity and inclusion, and it is important to us to honor those who fought so heroically for civil rights in this country," said Will Ris, Jr., American's Senior Vice President – Government Affairs. "We are pleased to provide transportation to this delegation and members of the Faith & Politics Institute as a demonstration of our dedication to celebrating the leaders who fought so tirelessly for these freedoms."
Check out the video above.
2010 Haiti Relief Efforts
Facing one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the Western hemisphere, American Airlines and American Eagle have, to date, supplied 400,000 pounds of relief supplies to Haiti. American Airlines was the first airline to resume commercial service to Port Au Prince and was the only airline to work with authorities to help rebuild the airport. Through our AAdvantage program partnership with the American Red Cross, members have generously donated more than 1.5 million dollars to the relief efforts.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Building on more than 20 years of supporting Komen nationally, American Airlines has pledged to raise a minimum of $1 million annually for eight years, to fund Susan G. Komen for the Cure's first Promise Grant -- a $7.5 million, five-year study of inflammatory breast cancer at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The remainder will be used to fund health and community programs. The net proceeds from the annual American Airlines Celebrity Golf and Tennis Weekend are the primary source of funding. Additional contributions will be raised via American's Miles for the Cure® program, in which AAdvantage® members earn ten miles for each dollar contributed to Komen with a $25 minimum donation. To represent the company's support of Komen, the airline has co-branded some of its aircraft with distinctive pink streamers, which extend the length of the fuselage of the two aircraft, signal a new level of mutual commitment.
United Negro College Fund
American Airlines has served as a longtime partner, sponsor and official airline for The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) “An Evening of Stars” celebration. The televised special helps promote awareness of the importance of minority higher education and celebrates the achievements of UNCF's academic institutions and their students. The UNCF is the nation's oldest and most successful minority higher education assistance organization.
