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The Quest for Equal Opportunity “The privileges of being an American belong to those brave enough to fight for them.” During World War II, Tuskegee airmen in Europe and North Africa courageously fought for freedom from fascism. But at home black pilots were still fighting discrimination. In April 1945, 60 black officers from Tuskegee’s 477th Bombardment Group, stationed in Indiana, were arrested when they tried to enter a segregated officers club, ironically named Freeman Field. A few days later, 101 black officers were arrested when they refused to sign an order stating that they “read and understood” that they would use segregated facilities only. As a result of the Freeman Field protests, white officers were replaced with blacks under the leadership of Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Davis became the first black to command an Air Force base in the United States. READ MORE | VIEW IMAGES FROM THIS SECTION |
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