Wings of Change: The Tuskegee Airmen and the Fight for Equality

During World War II, a group of determined young African American men took to the skies in defiance of the racial barriers that sought to ground them. Known as the Tuskegee Airmen, these pioneering pilots and crew members flew more than 1,578 sorties across Europe and North Africa. Aviation expert Jerry Burton explores their extraordinary achievements. The lecture begins with an introduction from Jeremy R. Kinney, associate director of research, collections, and curatorial affairs at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.