Arkansas Air and Military Museum unveils first-ever Tuskegee Airmen exhibit – KFSM 5Newsonline

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — President Donald Trump has put out many executive orders since his term began. One of them involves the removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the federal government. This executive order would have removed videos and curriculum of the Tuskegee Airmen in the United States Air Force training. But, it was “immediately reversed” by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last week.
In a time where segregation was the norm, the Tuskegee Airmen consisted of nearly 1,000 Black American aviators during World War II. At this time, Black Americans were already allowed in the military, but they weren’t allowed to train as pilots yet. 
“During the time that Tuskegee Airmen were founded originally, they weren’t allowed to fly missions,” Najja K. Baptist, director of African American studies at the University of Arkansas, said. “Black folks were only allowed in the Army in a very servant type way, which means cooking food, peeling potatoes, secondary work.”
Baptist said the loss of soldiers prompted the United States to tap Black Americans to take on the role — a group of men that we now refer to as the Tuskegee Airmen. 
“When the United States was hemorrhaging soldiers, when they were losing soldiers left and right, they needed people to fly missions because the people that they were having to fly were not skilled enough to do it, and they end up dying,” Baptist said. 
Despite racism and discrimination, Baptist said the Tuskegee Airmen were still trying to fulfill their constitutional duty to engage in the military. 
“The Tuskegee Airmen … they were not just a Black group of people that were flying airplanes,” Baptist said. “They did it because they were the most skilled aviation soldiers in the Army … How many missions did they fail? None. How many missions did others fail? Plenty. And they were only being discriminated against because of how they looked.”
Decades later, Jack and Jill of America’s Northwest Arkansas chapter installed an exhibit at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum to preserve the legacy of Black pilots who shaped aviation history. 
“Our team members, some of them did some research, they created some exhibits of different individuals, different periods of time,” Lanelle Owens, a member of the organization, said. “We also created some pieces for visually impaired so that they can also enjoy the exhibit.”
This is the first exhibit honoring the Tuskegee Airmen at the museum. Museum leaders said the exhibit focuses on Arkansas history and the five Tuskegee Airmen from the state. 
Riley Grier, teen president for the organization who worked on the project, said it was important to educate herself and the community on Black history. 
“It was kind of disheartening finding out that we were making the exhibit and that there wasn’t already one here,” she said. “To be able to put one in is definitely very special to me.”
Museum leaders said this exhibit will be up indefinitely, not just during Black History Month. 
“Especially in the area that we’re in … there isn’t always the most education on Black history, and it’s something that’s being challenged right now and something that’s being threatened — the ability to even learn Black history. So having it here and accessible to our community is really great,” Grier said.
The National World War II Museum attributes and honors the victory of the war to the Tuskegee Airmen’s help. During WWII, they flew over 15,000 individual missions and shot down 112 enemy airplanes.
“The Tuskegee Airmen, like many of the great people in American history, are Black history,” Baptist said. “By erasing their history or erasing DEI, or erasing in black history, or erasing race consciousness in any sort of fashion, is to misunderstand what race consciousness is. Race consciousness has always been inclusive, not exclusive.”
An active duty Air Education and Training Command base provided the following statement from commander Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson on the curriculum change:
“No curriculum or content highlighting the honor and valor of the Tuskegee Airmen or Women Air Force Service Pilots has been removed from Basic Military Training.  The block in which these lessons were taught included DEI material which was directed to be removed. We believe this adjustment to curriculum to be fully aligned with the direction given in the DEI executive order. The block of instruction went into revision on 23 January.  No Airmen or Guardians will miss this block of instruction due to the revision, however one group of trainees had the training delayed.  The revised training which focuses on the documented historic legacy and decorated valor with which these units and Airmen fought for our Nation in World War II and beyond will continue on 27 January.  The Air Force has not removed these Airmen’s incredible heritage from any training. Their personal examples of service, sacrifice and combat effectiveness are illustrative of the core values, character and warrior ethos necessary to be an Airman and Guardian.”

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