Alaska Airlines specially messaged plane flew over Shoreline on Friday

Photo by Jan Hansen

Designed in partnership with UNCF, which provides funding for scholarships for Black students to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the eye-catching Boeing 737 is, “a symbol of our commitment to education and advancing racial equity at Alaska Airlines, and we hope it inspires others as well,” according to an announcement from the airline.

“As a company, we know we are not yet where we need to be when it comes to diversity, but we are inspired and guided by our value to do the right thing,” said Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci. 

“With this aircraft, we are doing the right thing by amplifying the conversation around education, equity and belonging and taking it to the skies.”

The plane, named ‘Commitment’, is adorned with quotes from Maya Angelou, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela. It was designed in conjunction with several of the company’s Black employees, and features the faces of Black and brown students connected to employees of the airline.

Information from Forbes and travelnoire.com