Library Catalog
On the Shelf at CCBC Libraries
Freedom Flyers by
In this inspiring account of the Tuskegee Airmen--the country's first African American military pilots--historian J. Todd Moye captures the challenges and triumphs of these brave aviators in their own words, drawing on more than 800 interviews recorded for the National Park Service's Tuskegee Airmen Oral History Project. Denied the right to fully participate in the U.S. war effort alongside whites at the beginning of World War II, African Americans--spurred on by black newspapers and civil rights organizations such as the NAACP--compelled the prestigious Army Air Corps to open its training programs to black pilots, despite the objections of its top generals. Thousands of young men came from every part of the country to Tuskegee, Alabama, in the heart of the segregated South, to enter the program, which expanded in 1943 to train multi-engine bomber pilots in addition to fighter pilots. By the end of the war, Tuskegee Airfield had become a small city populated by black mechanics, parachute packers, doctors, and nurses. Together, they helped prove that racial segregation of the fighting forces was so inefficient as to be counterproductive to the nation's defense. Freedom Flyers brings to life the legacy of a determined, visionary cadre of African American airmen who proved their capabilities and patriotism beyond question, transformed the armed forces--formerly the nation's most racially polarized institution--and jump-started the modern struggle for racial equality.
Call Number: D790.252 332nd .M69 2012
Websites
- The Tuskegee Airmen
Tuskegee University
National Monuments
Streaming Videos
- Tuskegee AirmenThe Tuskegee Airmen tells the dramatic, true story of the first African-American fighter pilots, the Red Tails. Through action-packed computer animations, historical reenactments, and dynamic archival sequences, audiences are taken on an immersive journey to witness the accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen.
Databases
- Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new window
Articles and scholarly essays, historical newspaper articles, primary sources, and timelines you can use for African American topics.
- ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window
Articles on any subject. This is a good place to start.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Baltimore Sun This link opens in a new window
Primary source articles covering the politics, society and events of the time period 1837 - 1992.
- U.S. History This link opens in a new window
Articles, essays, and primary sources on the history of the United States.
Online From CCBC Libraries
Tuskegee Airmen by
This poignant history of the Tuskegee Airmen separates myth and legend from fact, placing them within the context of the growth of American airpower and the early stirrings of the African American Civil Rights Movement. The "Tuskegee Airmen"--the first African American pilots to serve in the U.S. military--were comprised of the 99th Fighter Squadron, the 332nd Fighter Group, and the 477th Bombardment Group, all of whose members received their initial training at Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama. Their successful service during World War II helped end military segregation, which was an important step in ending Jim Crow laws in civilian society. This volume in Greenwood's Landmarks of the American Mosaic series depicts the Tuskegee Airmen at the junction of two historical trends: the growth of airpower and its concurrent development as a critical factor in the American military, and the early stirring of the Civil Rights Movement. Tuskegee Airmen explains how the United States's involvement in battling foes that represented a threat to the American way of life helped to push the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to allow African American soldiers to serve in the Army Air Corps. This work builds on the works of others, forming a synthesis from earlier studies that approached the topic mostly from either a "black struggles" or military history perspective. 16 original documents relating to the creation and performance of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, each accompanied by a brief description that provides historical context 28 short biographies of black aviation and military pioneers, important people among the Tuskegee Airmen, as well as several of the Airmen themselves A comprehensive bibliographic description of major secondary works on the Tuskegee Airmen, World War II, airpower, and black participation in the American military A glossary of specialized terms pertaining to the military, aviation, World War II, and African Americans
Publication Date: 2011
A-Train by
A-Train is the story of one of the black Americans who, during World War II, graduated from Tuskegee (AL) Flying School and served as a pilot in the Army Air Corps’ 99th Pursuit Squadron. Charles W. Dryden presents a fast-paced, balanced, and personal account of what it was like to prepare for a career traditionally closed to African Americans, how he coped with the frustrations and dangers of combat, and how he, along with many fellow black pilots, navigators, bombardiers, and crewmen, emerged with a magnificent war record. Under the command of Colonel Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the Tuskegee airmen fought over North Africa, Sicily, and Europe, escorting American bomber crews who respected their "no-losses" record. Some were shot down, many of them were killed or captured by the enemy, and several won medals of valor and honor. But the airmen still faced great barriers of racial prejudice in the armed forces and at home. As a member of that elite group of young pilots who fought for their country overseas while being denied civil liberties at home, Dryden presents an eloquent story that will touch each and every reader. nbsp;
Publication Date: 1997
The Divided Skies by
In the Persian Gulf War, Americans of all races fought in integrated units under the leadership of the first African-American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The United States armed forces were not always the most integrated institution in American society.
ISBN: 9780817305277Publication Date: 1992
Online Articles
- The Soaring Legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen
Smithsonian, March 24, 2021