Contributions of Tuskegee Airmen to African American History

Contributions of Tuskegee Airmen to African American History

Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military men who took part in the Second World War as pilot wings. These airmen trained at the Tuskegee Institute of Alabama. The Tuskegee airmen influenced African American history in many ways, whereas overcoming challenges in America. There were more than 1000 black Americans who trained as militants in the Tuskegee training institute and qualified to become air combats. The training institute was unfit for training, and it purposed to ensure that the blacks failed in their practice. As much as the whites were unable to admit it, the intensifying war called for more armies. The numbers of white army men were low. The military camps had to be lenient to accommodate blacks and train them on the war tactics.

Tuskegee institute was the best suited to train African Americans. It had existing engineering facilities, technical instructors. These two were necessary since the requirements for recruitment in the army included complete training in an engineering course. The institute had a perfect climatic condition to `accommodate flying all year round. This institute began its operation after the civil rights groups, the black leaders and the black press pressurized the army to train the blacks.

The Tuskegee airmen helped in tearing down the Germans during the Second World War. The black people remain remarkable in history for their contribution to the victory against Germans during the second world war. In 1944, Yenwith Whitney flew 34 combat missions in Europe during the war in one of the 332 fighter groups. He also took part in escorting heavy bombers and earned a three cluster and an Air Medal for his service. His efforts, with help from other Black support, resulted in a remarkable feat in the Second World War.

Also, the Tuskegee Airmen were pioneers in science inventions and technological advancements. They played significant roles in helping the Americans win the war and advance scientifically. For instance, Warren Henry developed a video amplifier for transportable radar systems to sense and track German submariners and was recruited by the MIT radiation Laboratory in 1953. Wallace Patillo Reed, on the other hand, was a trained weather officer who graduated as the first African-American meteorologist in 1942. He was instructed into the Army Air Corps, to orient the first pilot-graduates at the Tuskegee Army Air Field. He assisted in the training of the weather officers who deployed oversees.

Also, these airmen contributed to the education of blacks and whites in general. All the black scholars acquired either masters or Ph.D. in their knowledge. After the end of the Second World War, they taught in military schools and colleges. Warren henry was a chemist physics teacher while George L Washington initiated a training program for black pilots in Airforce training at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

Another contribution of these airmen was the creation of equal opportunities for Whites and Blacks. The airmen advocated for the rights of the black people against segregation in the military camps and clubs, and Victor Ransom became the first black man to enter an American club. In 1947, some members of the 477th Bombardment group staged a peaceful demonstration do desegregate the Indiana club, Freeman field. They set the pace for the black race to follow in the fight for their freedom in America.

The Tuskegee airmen proved that given a chance, they would effectively lead the military and become great pilots. In the Tuskegee institute, the blacks lacked the opportunity to train as pilots. Chief Charles Anderson, however, was a self-trained pilot who acquired a pilot’s license in 1927. he flew with Mrs. Roosevelt, an upcoming civil rights activists, who had visited the institute and insisted on seeing the black pilots fly the planes. She filmed the whole flight and persuaded her husband on the activation of these Airmen in the European Theatre and North America. Charles Anderson formed the Tuskegee Civilian Training program at Tuskegee Institute, where he trained over 900 airmen. He made it possible for his flying squadron to persuade President Harry Truman to curb segregation in the American military, and this enabled the opening of America to a new social order.

The greatest challenge faced by the Tuskegee airmen faced was racism, in the military school, and the American society at large. They got hated for their ‘colored’ skin. The blacks and whites had to work in unison on air, but the whites segregated the blacks in times of no action. The white men did not even share their halls, barracks, or even seats with the black American soldiers. The Germans also referred to these military pilots as the ‘Blackbirds.’ The Tuskegee men had to bear the mocking nicknames. During the warring events, the Tuskegee lost some of their members to attacks and serious injuries, and some of the black Americans got captured as prisoners of war at the Nazi camps. This capture- was a challenge because that point meant a reduction of Blackman’s workforce.

Although the whites believed that a black man lacked the brainpower, courage, and expertise to fly or operate an advanced aircraft, the Tuskegee airmen proved their excellence as

military pilots. However, they still served in under-regulated units. In 1938, President Roosevelt ordered the expansion of the civilian pilot training program in America. This order led to an increase of African Americans in the army and workforce from 3%-8%. The blacks got assigned to the low paying jobs. With time, the whites slowly accepted the dark as their people.

The excellent performance of all the Tuskegee airmen in the combat showed that they were fully deserving of equal opportunities given to pilots and service members. They encouraged the Airforce to integrate before the other services. The Tuskegee remain in history as the pioneers of the fight against segregation, quota, and racism. Their method of achieving their human rights was the use of peaceful demonstrations. They stood firm against apartheid, and also risked their lives for the massive love they had for their country.

Works Cited

Baker, Brynn. Tuskegee Airmen: Freedom Flyers of World War II. North Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press, a Capstone imprint, 2016

Bevel, Helen L. Nonviolent right to vote movement almanac. [S.l.]: lulu com. 2018.

Gray, Fred D. The Tuskegee syphilis study the real story and beyond; [an insider’s account of the shocking medical experiment conducted by government doctors against African American men]. Montgomery, AL: New South Books. 2013.

Homan, Lynn M., and Thomas Reilly. Black Knights: the story of the Tuskegee airmen. Gretna, La: Pelican Pub. Meteorology.2001.

Shea, John M. The Tuskegee Airmen. The History and Legacy of America’s First Black Fighter Pilots in World War II. Gareth Stevens Publishing. 2015

Stentiford, Barry M. Tuskegee airmen. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood. 2012