First class smelled like polished leather, champagne, and judgment. The lead flight attendant, Brianna Hale, stood tall and theatrically confident, the kind of person who believed the uniform stitched authority into her skin. Her manicured fingers tightened around a boarding pass as she leaned over a poised Black woman seated calmly in 2A. That woman was Dr. Amara Cole — elegant charcoal suit, understated diamond studs, a quiet confidence that didn’t try to prove itself. She spoke softly, the wa