Alumni Profile: Dontae Bell, MA'19

Dontae Bell, MA'19, never had childhood dreams of becoming a pilot—but his sense of duty to others, which sparked his interest in serving in the military—began at home. "I am the oldest of ten children, and my family moved often, including to Fargo, North Dakota, and, later, northwest Arkansas." Although Bell’s mother homeschooled all her children, Bell also had a hand in caring for them. “I’ve basically raised all of my siblings—family is the big thing for me.” 

Bell’s passion for diversity and representation—which continues to motivate him as an Air Force pilot—was inspired by his experience growing up as a member of a large black family in predominantly white, rural communities.

“Not only am I among the fifteen percent of the Air Force’s service members who are Black, but also part of an even smaller number of Black Air Force pilots and leaders. It’s important to make sure that pathways are open for people who look like me or who come from underrepresented communities and want to serve this country. It’s in the best interest of these communities, the military at large, and ultimately the entire country that the armed forces better reflect the country we serve.”

Bell decided to pursue his Master of Arts degree at Harris Public Policy partly to mitigate this issue. "Earning my master's from Harris was part of my journey to address wealth inequality by examining the shortage of pilots and other public service sector workers, aiming to make lucrative jobs available to more underrepresented communities." 

Bell said his Harris experience also helps him in his day-to-day work. “My time at Harris prepared me to understand how my tactical mission supports and ties into the national defense strategy, and I use the comprehensive data-based approach on how to solve issues to help me save lives in aviation. Plus, the importance of attention to detail—an undercurrent in the MA in Public Policy curriculum—is heavily emphasized in the military and in the Air Force field."

Prior to Harris, Bell earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Howard University, one of the nation’s top historically black colleges and universities. After growing up in mostly white communities, Bell found life at Howard to be a completely different cultural experience. “At Howard, everything centers around black excellence,” he said.

Howard was also where Bell became interested in the Air Force, initially enlisting in ROTC as a way to pay for his undergraduate degree. “However, I was moved by the people who served alongside me and were willing to risk their lives for their country. I wanted my participation to signal the diversity of people willing to make that sacrifice, which is what inspired me to pursue a career in the Armed Forces. I stayed for the people and for my belief in what makes America great — a vision [U.S. poet] Langston Hughes describes as ‘the land that never has been yet, and yet must be.’”

Bell said the skills he gained at Harris have helped him analyze, and better see, the bigger picture—which he also does literally from the cockpit. “If you find yourself in the D.C. area and you see a blue helicopter in the skies, wave! I’ll always wave back!”