In 2015, Samantha Middleton started her flight attendant career with Mesa Airlines. Unfamiliar with the new world she was exposed to, she went to social media looking for inspiration. She saw all the big accounts showcasing flight attendants across the country and around the world. She wanted to be featured, so she decided to come to work every day and slay. But no one noticed. They would never repost her.

That's when she started seeing a pattern: Black flight attendants were invisible. You had to search and search. The representation didn't match the reality of who was actually soaring the friendly skies. There was a clear gap, a missing piece.

And that's when it hit her: I'm going to make my own. But how? Then the idea came in a dream, clear and concise. The message was simple: build a space for Black flight attendants. Make them visible. Support their healing. Give them a place to belong.

In September 2016, Samantha founded Black Flight Attendants USA to fill that gap. What started as a platform just to showcase the beauty that was the black flight attendant grew into a national community built on culture, connection, and shared identity. It became a place where representation and support weren't just goals but the whole foundation.

Today, BFUSA is both an organization and a movement. Through storytelling, the community lifts up experiences that usually get ignored. Through events, members come together in real life to celebrate their heritage, build deeper connections, and take pride in who they are. The work keeps going.

Samantha is passionate about loving the culture. She believes as Black people we should always have pride in what we do. She is proud to be a Black flight attendant. Her role matters, and she hopes that through BFUSA, they touch the lives of many and inspire the next generation to fly with pride.

The mission hasn't changed: make sure Black flight attendants are seen, respected, and celebrated. Together, the community is building a legacy rooted in visibility, pride, and excellence, changing the face of aviation one story at a time.