Captain Nia Gilliam on Monoculture Moments in Memoir

We’re taking the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of 9/11 to explore monoculture moments in memoir. These are collective events that we’ve all gone through together, where you know exactly where you were when an event happened. Captain Nia Gilliam had one of the most rarified views of 9/11 imaginable, from the cockpit of the last plane cleared for takeoff at Newark Airport on 9/11. Her story is about that day, what she saw and how it threatened to ground her forever, after a lifelong dream—and fight against the odds—to become a commercial airline pilot. In honor of those we lost and of that day, we’re honored to be speaking with Captain Gilliam and hearing from her about getting this book done, the particular trauma of that day, and her advocacy on behalf of Black female pilots. Quite a story and quite a life!We’re hosting a live event at Vintage Wine on September 18, 5-7pm. Get your tickets here.And check out Embassy Kid, by J. K. Amerson López, who we’re celebrating this week on Memoir Milestones.

Captain Nia Gilliam is one of the few Black female airline pilots in the United States, flying as an Airbus Captain for a major US airline with type ratings across multiple Boeing and Airbus fleets. She witnessed the September 11 attacks from the flight deck at Newark Airport—an experience at the heart of her debut memoir, Cleared for Takeoff. In 2016, she co-founded Sisters of the Skies, a nonprofit working to increase the number of Black female pilots, which received the Henderson Trophy in 2023 and coverage from Good Morning America and Bloomberg. Her honors include the Egretha Award and the United Airlines BEACON Excellence Award, and she was featured on PBS American Masters: The Women's List alongside Shonda Rhimes and Madeleine Albright. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.