This one was definitely exciting to write up,especially growing up in Chicago. I went to a private school so we had to take 3 CTA buses there and back to get home. I remembered hearing about this amazing woman but never had the opportunity to ride on her bus. However I’m so thankful for trailblazers like her that paved the way for little black girls like me to be able to believe the sky was the limit,and I could do absolutely ANYTHING I wanted,regardless of the nah sayers✊🏾!!
In 1974,Englewood native,Mary Wallace,drove into history when she became the first woman to drive a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus. Wallace was a popular driver who remained on the job for 33 years before retiring.
“I used to work for the Planning and Placement Center when I was going to college,and we had job orders for the CTA bus drivers. So I decided I wanted to check this out myself,and I did. I went for three years,and they kept saying no. People kept the wisecracks about female drivers to themselves, but Mary remembers the mixed reactions she used to get from the CTA riders on her bus routes when they noticed a woman driving. I would get cheers from the ladies and stares from the guys!
#WeAreHistory
#BLACKtastic
#BLACKnificence
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