DETROIT (AP) - A museum honoring the legacy and achievements of the nation’s first all-Black air fighter squadron has moved to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.
The Tuskegee Airmen National Museum now is housed in the Coleman A. Young Gallery which is named after Detroit’s first Black mayor who was a second lieutenant, bombardier and navigator in the Tuskegee Airmen.
A virtual grand opening is scheduled March 22 - 80 years after the squadron’s activation by President Franklin Roosevelt.
“As we observe the 80th anniversary of the Tuskegee Airmen, we honor their courage, remember their sacrifice, and celebrate their amazing feats and contributions,” said Brian Smith, president of the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum.
The museum is receiving support from the Ford Motor Co. Fund, the automaker’s philanthropic arm.
The grand opening will include a ribbon-cutting, virtual tour and remarks by Airmen Lt. Col. Harry Stewart Jr. and Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson. The Detroit Youth Choir will perform a special rendition of the Tuskegee Airmen fight song.
Stewart and Jefferson were featured in the 2019 Ford Fund documentary, “Our Voices: Our Stories - The Tuskegee Airmen.”
“We’re honored to have this important display of American and African American history here in the heart of Detroit,” said Pamela Alexander, director of community development for Ford Motor Co. Fund.
The Tuskegee Airmen National Museum had been located at Historic Fort Wayne in Southwest Detroit.
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