“The Tuskegee Airmen: The Segregated Skies of World War II” Exhibition Opens

The exhibition, explores the history and heroism of the first African-American pilots to fly in combat during World War II. In 1941 the U.S. Army established a segregated training program for African American pilots at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama.

Over the next five years, more than 1,000 pilots trained in what became known as the “Tuskegee Experiment.” The Red Tails, as they became known in combat, compiled a stellar record during the war. These pilots and 16,000 men and women who served as support personnel are all part of the Tuskegee Airmen.

While their success did not bring broad social change at home, their service during the war influenced President Truman to integrate the military in 1948. The ten-panel “Tuskegee Airmen” exhibit is presented by the Museum of History and Holocaust Education in partnership with Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama.