Harvey Milk legacy to be featured on aircraft
(San Francisco) Norwegian Airlines has unveiled its newest tail fin hero, and eighth American to be immortalized on a Norwegian aircraft. It’s Harvey Milk.
“As we continue to grow, our message of inclusion is beyond just that of affordable fares, it is unifying customers, employees, and business partners from all over the world who share our vision of diversity,” Bjørn Kjos, Founder and CEO of Norwegian. “Like ours, Harvey Milk’s mission was reflective of a pioneering spirit. He demonstrated a tireless hunger to look past the differences of people and instead focus on bringing them together for the greater good.
“We can’t think of a better way to honor Harvey Milk’s bravery and courage than to dedicate a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to his legacy of equal rights – a tribute that will span the globe for years to come, reinforcing our joint commitment to making the world a smaller, friendlier and more inclusive place.”
Harvey Milk, among the best-known civil rights leaders in modern history, fearlessly pursued the freedom for every human being to live life with authenticity and courage. As one of the world’s first openly gay officials, Milk’s ground-breaking election in 1977 offered hope for all marginalized people across the globe.
Today, Harvey’s legacy lives on through award-winning films and documentaries, plays and operas, books, and scholarly contributions. His name graces schools, community centers, parks, and streets around the world, proving that his pursuit of acceptance and equality is remembered, honored, and continues to this day.
"We are proud to partner with Norwegian, having Uncle Harvey join the airline's forward-thinking Tail Fin Hero program that already includes change makers like Sojourner Truth and Oscar Wilde," said Stuart Milk, nephew and the co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation. "This is such a unique way to educate and celebrate those that have come before us, allowing for their legacies to live on. We look forward to seeing Harvey 'flying' into airports across the globe and continuing to spread his message of acceptance."
In partnership with Norwegian, Harvey Milk’s legacy will travel the world, his name and likeness adorning the tail of a state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The aircraft is more than a flying tribute – it is fitted with custom art that depicts the brave life Harvey led so that customers on board will not only see his name, but truly understand and connect to his life’s work.
Norwegian will also support the Harvey Milk Foundation’s annual diversity and inclusion efforts and collaborate to identify how Norwegian can become an even stronger advocate for equality, understanding, and inclusion through its diverse workforce.
Harvey Milk joins the rank of recently spotlighted American tail fin heroes including Mark Twain, Charles Lindbergh, Arthur Collins, Babe Ruth, Clara Barton, Sojourner Truth and Benjamin Franklin. Each of these historical figures share Norwegian’s vision of pushing boundaries, inspiring others and challenging the status quo.
The Harvey Milk aircraft is a brand-new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which will be delivered to Norwegian from Boeing at the end of March. It is the 26th 787-9 Dreamliner in the airline’s fleet.
The Gayly. 3/28/2019 @11:22 a.m. CST.