C A P T A I N LO U F R A Trailblazer and an Inspiration By Daniel Ford There are a few people in this world who make it their duty to break barriers. Captain Lou Freeman is one of those people. Lou spent much of his childhood in Dallas, Texas, and was one of the first Black students to integrate a previously all-white high school. As a child, this was not something Lou wanted to do, but it ended up benefiting him later in life through the new experiences he was exposed to. He went on to attend East Texas State University, where he was part of the Air Force ROTC. It was here that Lou realized for the first time that he wanted to be a pilot. He took the Air Force AFOQT Test and scored very well in almost all parts of the exam, except for the pilot portion. In the 1970s, it was uncommon to see Black pilots, so Lou had never considered it a possibility. However, after seeing his score, he was motivated to improve on that portion of the AFOQT. That motivation led him to pursue flying as a career, eventually joining the Air Force, where he had a very successful career. Lou said he never had any doubts once he set his mind to becoming a pilot. He had no plan B and refused to fail. Lou’s passion for flying eventually led him to Southwest Airlines. He was concerned that as he advanced in the Air Force, he would spend less time in the cockpit and more time on the ground. Lou became the first Black pilot for Southwest and the first Black chief pilot for any major U.S. airline. Although his role as chief pilot
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at Chicago Midway Airport often kept him in the office, Lou consistently picked up flights, flying more than any other chief pilot at Southwest simply because he loved it. Lou’s favorite memory from his career was flying Rosa Parks’ remains and her family and friends to Montgomery, Alabama. He brought his own family along so they could appreciate the sacrifices others