Muriel's Story:
"Being a Black Stewardess: Racism Aloft"
Interview with Muriel Gray, April 18, 2000

I became a flight attendant after graduating from college in 1965. I had not given it any thought prior to recruiters from UAL being on campus that Spring. I had not applied for any jobs, so decided to meet with the two recruiters "just to see what they were talking about." I did not take it seriously as we spent most of the time chatting and laughing. I was surprised when I was called for a second interview. I had not even considered the first meeting an "interview". The bottom line is that before I knew it I was referred for a physical exam and encouraged to seriously consider the position. Since I still had not applied for any other positions, I accepted this position. I was hired Spring 1965, attended training that Summer following college graduation.

A few days before the end of the UAL training I was called out of class to meet with someone. I assumed the meeting had something to do with race because I was the only person of color in my class and I was the only person summoned. I was right.

At that meeting I was told that bidding for domicile would occur the next day and that for my safety and concern, United had a policy that stated the Black flight attendants could be based in Chicago or points west but not east of Chicago due to the southern flying where many hotels were still practicing discrimination. I was surprised, angry, hurt, and upset. I threatened to quit on the spot.

I called home and shared with my family what had just occurred. They suggested that I come home. Actually, they did not like the idea of my being a flight attendant. My mother (a waitress) was clear about the fact that they had not paid for me to get a college degree to become what she described as a "flying waitress". At the same time, a flight attendant supervisor who was based in Seattle "coincidentally"? happened to be at the training center. A meeting had been set up, for me, with her in which she described Seattle (the base and the city). She convinced me to give it a try. I did. However, because I initially did not want to be there (I wanted to be in New York where my boyfriend was), as soon as I got to Seattle I contacted the Union and wrote a letter to the UAL President's office saying that I had been discriminated against and that I wanted to be transferred to New York. The Union did not do anything seeming surprised to learn of such a policy. I received a letter from the President's Office a few weeks later indicating that that policy had changed and that I could transfer wherever I wanted as long as there was a vacancy. However, the policy that required a flight attendant to stay in a domicile for at least 6 months had not changed. Hence, I would need to stay in Seattle for at least 6 months. I left almost 10 years later and transferred to DC.

I knew that I was among a handful of Black flight attendants but it was of no concern. I was used to being the "only one". This was nothing new. Hence, the situations were not new to me.

There were numerous "situations"--many were quite amusing and most were frustrating. As long as I was on the west coast, most things were fine except, the discrimination in housing. My roommates and I knew how to handle that--they would go first, find a place, get a rental commitment and I would go for the final visit. However, flying on the east coast was a different story. Some flight attendants let me know that they did not want to work with me and would only speak when absolutely necessary. Passengers would not let me serve them and often conspired with my flying partners to keep me away from them. Layovers were interesting because at that time, flight attendants shared rooms. Guess who got to have her own room most of the time- not necessarily because flight attendants requested it but the hotel attendants suggested it. United had been right about the difference in East and West Coast treatment. I was not surprised by anything that happened to me. It was within the social context of the 1960's. I would have been surprised had it not happened!! I did not see UAL as discriminating- it was society. If anything, UAL was running the risk of losing business because many of those passengers who did not want me to serve them also made it clear that they would change to another airline. Ironically, I observed some of the same treatment of men who were among the first male flight attendants in the 70's.

I flew for UAL 18 years, and then held an EAP position in the Medical Dept for almost 5 years.

In my opinion, the UAL discriminatory policy was no more discriminatory than anyone else's policies. Black flight attendants were recruited out of college while white flight attendants were recruited out of high school. Black flight attendants were aware of this educational difference and in some ways felt demeaned. There was great ambivalence because an educated Black person was expected by their elders to break barriers. However, those barriers were expected to be those that uplifted the poor. They were not expected to be self- serving and superficial. In the intellectual and upper middle class Black community, being a flight attendant was considered self-serving and superficial. In the historical context of slavery, it was still seen as being a servant and paraded as a sexual object for white men. On the other hand, the working class Black community was fascinated by the "glamour" of travel in the same way that the working class white community seemed to be. It was seen as an opportunity to go places and see things that one might not otherwise have. While white flight attendants, at the time, seemed to see this as a temporary lifestyle before marriage; Black flight attendants also saw it as a temporary lifestyle, but before pursuing the more serious aspects of life and social change. Keep in mind, that age discrimination was enforced during the 1960's. All flight attendants were expected to not continue working as a flight attendant past the age of 32 (I'm not sure of the age).So.. to some extent it was seen as temporary by all of us.
Regardless of the role of flight attendant, what I came to appreciate was a lifestyle that allowed the time and money to pursue other interests. I received, both, a masters and doctorate degree as a full-time student and a full-time flight attendant. I have pursued other occupational interests while a full-time flight attendant. Most flight attendants took advantage of this flexible lifestyle and I imagine that they still do.
I'm not clear about the question pertaining to the length of time it took UAL to accept the changing image of stewardesses. I did not address it for that reason.