8 US airports named after famous black Americans

With the renaming of James Herman Banning Ames Municipal Airport in Ames, Iowa, on June 17, 2023, there are now eight airports in the United States named in honor of a great Black American. The long road to renaming these airports is a reminder that there must be greater representation in our airspace and our travel industry: only a tiny fraction of the nation’s 19,000 airports bear the names of African Americans.

We celebrate National Air Traffic Control Day with these eight airports named after Black Americans, who we think of every time we fly from one of these places.

James Herman Banning Ames Municipal Airport – Ames, Iowa

James Herman Banning made aviation history when he became one of the first black pilots to successfully fly from the West Coast to the East Coast of the United States in the early 1930s. As one of the most significant black pilots in early aviation history, the Iowa-based pilot was honored with a renaming ceremony at Story County Airport in 2023. There, travelers can also learn more about Banning’s record-breaking achievements in an exhibition in one of the airport terminals.

Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport – Rochester, New York

In 2021, Rochester, New York’s international airport was officially renamed to honor the achievements of black abolitionist and Rochester resident Frederick Douglass. The renaming of the airport in New York State’s third-largest city began with a sculpture. “Our ‘Re-energizing the Legacy of Frederick Douglass’ project brought 15 fiberglass monuments to the streets of the city of Rochester for the 200th anniversary of Frederick Douglass’ birth, which occurred in 2018,” says Carvin Eisen, a professor at SUNY Brockport who helped initiate the project. One of the sculptures has now found its place in the newly named Frederick Douglass Rochester Greater International Airport. “We estimate that about a million travelers come here annually, so this will be the first image they see of Rochester and the last image they take with them when they leave,” he explains.

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport – Birmingham, Alabama

Celebrated activist Fred L. Shuttlesworth fought hard against Jim Crow laws and deadly racism to make civil rights reforms a success. The Mount Meigs, Alabama, native worked with other activist organizations to organize the historic Freedom Rides, marches and boycotts in the name of equal rights in the 1960s. In 2008, Shuttlesworth’s name was added to the state’s largest airport, which was renamed Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in the pastor’s honor.

Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport – Baltimore, Maryland

Ambitious Baltimore lawyer Thurgood Marshall made history in 1967 when he was appointed a justice of the nine-member Supreme Court of the United States, the first black American to ever hold that office. Throughout his legal career and 25 years as a judge, Marshall championed and secured victories for women’s autonomy and civil rights. In 2005, Maryland’s airport changed its name to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport to honor this civil rights pioneer.

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport – Louisville, Kentucky

He is known as “The Greatist,” so it is a pleasant surprise to see an airport bearing the name chosen by the professional boxer and activist. On June 16, 2019, Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport officially received its new name after its hometown boxing hero, who was born and raised in the city. The name change is welcomed by many in the community, especially the Muslim population, who attach great importance to the decision. During the renaming ceremony, Muhammad Ali’s daughter Maryum stated that the name change could be a source of hope. She recounted that her father reacted in true Ali fashion: “This is something, man. This is big. This is beautiful.”

Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport – Jackson, Mississippi

After returning from the military, World War II veteran Medgar Evers dedicated his life to the fight for racial equality. He worked tirelessly to end segregation in education and abolish Jim Crow laws in Mississippi, risking his own life for this change. His assassination in 1963 sparked a fierce outcry in the black community and led to an even fiercer fight for civil rights. One year later, the Civil Rights Act was passed. In January 2005, Jackson renamed its airport Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport in honor of the civil rights martyr.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – Atlanta, Georgia

The grandson of activist John Wesley Dobbs and a graduate of Morehouse University, Maynard Jackson made history himself as Atlanta’s first black mayor. During his two consecutive terms as mayor, he worked to reform the city’s police department, paying particular attention to the city’s airport. After expanding and modernizing the facility, the city decided to rename the airport to pay tribute to the former mayor after his death in 2003. Today, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport serves millions of travelers and is one of the busiest airports in the United States.

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport – New Orleans, Louisiana

Louis Armstrong is one of music’s most beloved figures and a mainstay of the burgeoning jazz scene of the 1920s. While the gravelly-voiced musician revolutionized the genre with hits like “What a Wonderful World,” the New Orleans native known as “Satch” left his mark across America. In 2001, Armstrong’s hometown renamed its local airport Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to pay tribute to the legendary Louisiana trumpeter.