In 1940 the US Military decided to no longer barre African Americans from flying in the armed forces and began a pilot training program on a small airstrip in Tuskeegee, Alabama. This select group of Tuskegee Airmen became known as the “Red Tails” and were the first African Americans trained by the military and permitted to engage in combat operations. The “Red Tails” became combat legends as their bravery and heroism in the skies proved that African Americans could not only fly, but also thrive as pilots.
RACE AND AVIATION
Today we find ourselves in a similar situation to the racial imbalance in aviation that we found prior to the first flights of the original “Red Tails”. In the United States, African Americans comprise 13.6 percent of the population. However, the number of minority pilots in both commercial and military aviation continually hovers around 2 percent.
OUR MISSION
We believe that the power of filmmaking and storytelling is the best way to raise awareness and spark a call to action for the masses. By producing this film, we will awaken new audiences to the story of these young black aviators and give them a powerful tool that enables them to be heard and grow their cause. Additionally, this film will serve as an asset for the Red Tails Scholarship fund to use towards fundraising, partnerships, and creating more scholarship opportunities.
