Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American pilots in the U.S. military. They trained at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama during a time of segregation from 1941-1946. Over 900 pilots graduated and served in the 99th Pursuit Squadron and later the 332nd Fighter Group. Despite facing discrimination, the Tuskegee Airmen proved themselves in combat missions in Europe and North Africa during World War II. Their success helped push for the desegregation of the U.S. armed forces and broader civil rights progress.