THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

Red Tails Go to War!

Friedrich Seiltgen

In 1939, international tensions were high, and war was on the horizon. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Civilian Pilot Training (CPT) Act, the mission of which was to train pilots who could be called up for military duty if needed. The CPT was only available to White applicants, and, in 1941, Yancey Williams, a licensed pilot and senior at Howard University, filed a lawsuit. With the NAACP preparing to represent him and protests from civil rights groups, Black aviators, and a few politicians, the program was opened to everyone. Six Historically Black Colleges were selected for the program, including the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, founded by Booker T. Washington. PREPARING FOR WAR Frederick D. Patterson, president of the Tuskegee Institute, wanted a training program at his school, and the…

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Recoil (Digital) - 1 Issue, May/June 2025 #78

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