In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary talk with Lieutenant Colonel Christina Hopper about her military career and the history of women and minorities serving in the Air Force.

Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Just a Little More Earthly"

Lieutenant Colonel Christina “Thumper” Hopper graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1998 and commissioned as the Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Program. She earned Air Force pilot wings in 2000, completed F-16 training in 2001 and was one of only two Black female fighter pilots in the Air Force until 2021. During her time in the Air Force, Christina has been an advocate for women and minorities in aviation. She has mentored hundreds of young women through programs like Lean-In, Supergirls (which she started among the pilot training bases) and Sisters of the Skies (a mentorship program for Black female pilots). She has also contributed to strategic diversity initiatives in the Air Force and developed diversity curriculum for student pilots and her local base community. She was featured by Good Housekeeping Magazine, Ebony, and the Harry Connick Jr. Show and Family Circle Magazine named her one of the top 20 Working Moms of 2018. She currently serves as a T-38 Evaluator Pilot with more than 2500 hours in fighter, trainer and airline transport aircraft. In addition to her Air Force service, Christina is a wife of 20 years, a mom of three, a Delta Air Lines pilot, and professional speaker. She speaks on various topics related to her life experiences including diversity, overcoming adversity, and harnessing joy for success. To book her as a speaker for your next event visit: https://www.athenasvoiceusa.com/christina-thumper-hopper.

This is Democracy – Episode 149: Breaking Barriers in American Society