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Supporters urge naming Lindbergh for aviator and educator Willa Beatrice Brown
Summary
A Madison resident who co-founded a local aviation academy told the hearing that renaming Lindbergh for Willa Beatrice Brown would honor a pioneering Black aviator and reflect recent local aviation-education partnerships that introduced 100 middle-school students to flight.
Farid Guill, who said he co-founded the Willa Brown Aviation Academy, urged the district to rename Lindbergh Elementary for Willa Beatrice Brown and tied that recommendation to local aviation education. He described Brown as “a pioneering aviator, educator, civil rights leader, and an entrepreneur,” and noted her historical firsts in U.S. aviation licensure and training pilots for the World War II effort.
Guill said Madison schools have a history of aviation programming that shaped his life, and pointed to a recent MMSD partnership where the academy introduced about 100 middle-school students to aviation, including 25 students who received free introductory flights after a competitive selection. He argued a Willa Beatrice Brown name would provide a visible role model for students and link the school’s location and curriculum opportunities to regional aviation heritage.
