Kenneth, 43, who attributes his introduction to aviation to his time in the U.S Navy, stands by the railroad tracks that separate his place of upbringing, the 5th Ward community of Houston, TX, from the greater Houston communities with decades of resource access. Surrounded by mostly boarded up homes, Kenneth recalls this spot by the railroad as a place where his friends would play amongst the trees. According to him, “Flying is a beautiful catalyst for change, and it's a transformational tool that not a lot of people have access to, or have even considered it an option or a possibility. I love what I do. The flying part was the coolest, but when I was a young person it never crossed my mind. One time? Never. I never heard of any black pilots, Tuskegee airman, Bessie Coleman. No clue who they were coming from my environment.”
– “Tracks Separating Tracks,” From the Ground, Up. © Shanna Lucas. 2022. 5th Ward, Houston, TX.
Kenneth, 43, once the only minority of his U.S Navy aircraft crew, displays his newly crafted paper plane letter in front of the “Fruits of the 5th Ward” mosaic mural in 5th Ward, Houston, TX. Constructed by Wheatley High School students in the fall of 2006, the mural serves as a place of education and inspiration for much of the neighborhood, including Kenneth. The 21 portraits of significant persons of color within the mural have all come from 5th Ward, and have made their progressive marks (‘fruit’) within the world. Though Kenneth is not one of the significant persons within this mural, the photograph allows him to be, so that we may witness the significant person he is, not only in his community but for the aviation community as well. Kenneth’s most memorable contribution was using his position as the first employee of the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston, TX to secure a place for his friend, fellow Texan, and one of the first African-American pilots to be licensed in the United States, Azellia White into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame in April of 2018. White passed away at the age of 106 on September 15th, 2019.
– “Kenneth’s Fruit,” From the Ground, Up. © Shanna Lucas. 2022. 5th Ward, Houston, TX.
Kenneth's Letter
"To all who reads this,
Cherish everyday. Some days may be harder than others but do not give up. Whatever you dream, pursue it with all you have! Remember to treat people with the same respect you want them to give you. I never dreamed I would fly airplanes but now I can't imagine doing anything else. Believe in yourself regardless of what others think and it does not matter if you become a pilot or not, just know I am proud of you.
K"
October 17th, 2022
Houston, TX
