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In 2023, Arian Rice became a private pilot at age 18.

Now 20, he’s working toward his goal of flying commercial planes and encouraging Black children to explore their dreams. 

“After getting the news about getting my license, I can look back and say that I didn’t sit and wait for somebody to do it for me,” Rice said. 

Currently, Rice is participating in the aeronautics program at Gateway Technical College to fly commercial planes. 

While there, he will complete 125 hours of training to receive his Airline Transport rating, the highest level of pilot certification issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.

First time in a cockpit

Rice was 11 when he was first introduced to aviation. His nana, Isha Kinard, took the family to Burlington to experience the Young Eagles flight program, eat breakfast and explore airplanes. 

There, Rice was given the opportunity to fly a plane for the first time.

“I wasn’t scared at all, and when we took off, it felt exhilarating,” Rice said. 

During the one-on-one flight, the pilot allowed Rice to take control of the plane, teaching him how to steer and turn. 

“I remember we were by a pole, and the pilot tells me to turn around it,” Rice said. 

Rice’s aviation journey had just begun.

“I saw a sense of purpose in his eyes as he shared his experience,” Kinard said. 

Not old enough for flight school

Rice said his biggest challenge was finding additional flight training. He wanted to train at Spring City Aviation at Milwaukee’s Timmerman Airport, but the minimum age to fly an aircraft solo is 16. 

“It was hard, but I didn’t let my dream of aviation die out,” he said.  

From ages 13 to 14, he participated in free aviation training through the Young Eagles Sporty’s Learn to Fly course. There he learned the fundamentals of aviation. 

In addition, he watched videos on YouTube. 

Rice’s mom, Dahneisha Gavin, home-schooled Rice and said he’s good at being a self-learner. 

“He can see something and adapt to it,” Gavin said.

Rice mowed lawns and sold fireworks during the summer to pay for the training. 

“When we were at the breakfast that day, there was a man that spoke life into not only my son, but us as a unit. He said if we wanted him to fly, we would all have to work together,” Gavin said. 

Kinard, Gavin and Rice’s dad, James Sims Robinson, searched for scholarships, pitched in financially and provided other support.

Winning a scholarship

In 2023, mentor and former flight instructor Sean O’Donnell encouraged Rice to apply for a $10,000 EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship, which he won.

“Sean understood my limitations with getting training, and in his spare time, he saw an opportunity for me and forwarded the information to me,” Rice said. 

Rice said he was the only Black applicant, which motivated him to work harder. 

According to the Bureau of Labor of Statistics, only 4% of aircraft pilots and flight engineers are Black.

“Most of the applicants already had the experience and come from families with pilots,” Rice said. “They saw I had worked to do the 10 hours of training, and that stood out to them.”

A generational trailblazer

After passing written exams and completing training hours, Rice received his official private pilot license at 18. He is the first pilot in his family. 

Gavin said flying with her son for the first time was one of the proudest moments of her life. 

“Arian showed me that he belongs to the sky. It’s not just about flying airplanes. It’s about breaking barriers and creating a legacy to show other young people in Milwaukee that anything is possible,” Gavin said. 

Rice said he has moments when he thinks about his first experiences leading up to now and thanks his nana for it. 

“My nana invested in my future just by bringing me to that breakfast,” Rice said. 

Rice said he believes that Black people aren’t exposed to other careers enough. 

“Blacks are always being pushed into music or sports. My license gave me a freeing feeling because some families become too complacent when there isn’t a push,” he said. 

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For more information

For children looking to go into aviation, Rice suggests reading books about planes at a library and researching resources.

“It’s out there, but you just need to read what’s in front of you,” he said. 

Kinard encourages parents to start small. “Break the dreams down into smaller achievable steps and support their efforts to learn and grow along the way,” she said. 

Click here to stay updated on Rice’s aviation journey.

How this Black pilot in Milwaukee earned his license to fly at age 18 is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Michael Adams, president of JobsWork MKE, ignored the warning signs his body gave him before having a heart attack on Jan. 29, 2024. 

He now encourages Black men to pay attention to their health and trust the health care system. 

“I think Black men aren’t trusting the system due to economics and the feeling of not being in control of the situation,” Adams said. 

Ignored warning signs

Before his heart attack, Adams woke up vomiting with a burning throat. He took an Alka-Seltzer hoping it was indigestion. 

Later that day, he gave a presentation at the Medical College of Wisconsin for work. During the presentation, his symptoms got worse. He experienced severe sweating, shortness of breath and body aches. 

“I try to stay as active as I can, but I couldn’t understand why I’m walking across the street from the parking lot to the building out of breath,” Adams said. 

Friendship and health 

Timothy Grove, a network senior director of Trauma Informed Strategy and Practice at Wellpoint Care Network and a friend of Adams, was with him that day. He noticed before the presentation while walking with Adams that his friend was struggling.  

“The way he was talking about his symptoms made me think it was important to encourage him to get checked out right away. I was also concerned about my friend and wanted him to be OK,” Grove said. 

After the presentation, Grove took him to the doctor before he was sent to the emergency room. 

Adams described Grove as a good friend for being there for him.

“Tim got on my nerves because I wanted him to drop me off and leave. Through it all, he was there, and stayed until I was OK,” Adams said.

Black men and hospitals

When he was admitted to the ER, hospital staff tried to calm Adams to prevent distress before they told him he was having a heart attack. 

“Black men don’t listen to themselves. We don’t go to the ER because we don’t want all that comes with it,” Adams said. “At the end of the day, we are dying because we don’t listen to ourselves and our body.”

According to a study by the Milwaukee Health Department, the top cause of death for Milwaukee men is heart disease. 

Understanding a heart attack 

Adams discovered there was 95% blockage in one of his arteries. The day after his heart attack, doctors inserted a stent to open his artery and help restore blood flow. 

“I came to the realization that over a year I haven’t felt right and my circulation has been off all along,” Adams said. 

Adams experienced cramps and had inconsistent blood pressure readings. 

After the stent was inserted, Adams was prescribed medication, and it was recommended he attend water physical therapy because of its low impact on the body. 

A new lifestyle 

Before his heart attack, Adams, a native of Milwaukee’s North Side, lived an active lifestyle, teaching martial arts and hiking regularly. 

Now, Adams attends Noyes Pool three days a week. He swims laps there and is trained by a lifeguard and private swim coach. 

“People always tell me ‘sorry for the heart attack,’ but I have a different perspective on it, and the best of life opened up to me since then,” Adams said.

Adams has lost 40 pounds and is glad he’s eating higher-quality food such as lean beef, vegetables and fruits. He also cut salt from his diet and drinks only water.

Witnessing transforming moments 

Adams’ daughter, Lauren, proudly supports her father’s decision to make health a priority as a Black man. 

“I tell my dad all the time that one day he’s going to break my heart by passing away. To know that he’s taking his health so seriously, I love that,” she said. “I’m an only child, and my dad is my favorite person.” 

Heart disease runs in their family, Lauren said. Both of Michael’s parents died from heart disease. 

Since his life-changing medical emergency, Michael has met other individuals who also experienced heart attacks. Some are members from his church, All Saints Catholic Church. 

“When I was released to go to church, the men came up to me and said ‘Welcome to the club,’ ” he said.  

Feeling a part of the process 

Adams felt cautious about the steps he would have to take with his health. He felt the need to attach himself to his health care providers so he could trust the work they’re doing.

His initial doctor, Ian Gilson of Froedtert Hospital, retired after 20 years of caring for him.

“I liked that doctor because he understood Black anatomy really well,” Adams said. 

Benjamin Tobin, a Black doctor at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, is his current provider.

Adams appreciates how his health providers are making him feel seen and heard. 

“As Black men, we often get dictated to on how our health should go. My health providers made me a part of the plan, and I just signed off on it,” Adams said.

He urges Black men to take their health seriously. 

“I survived, and I want other people to understand that you can, too,” Adams said.

He survived a heart attack. Now he wants other Black men to do the same. is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.