Racism In Tuskegee Airmen

Tuskegee Airmen is an extremely important movie to the African American community. Being one of the first black person to do anything a “white man” would do is a very crucial factor for our black community. Being a minority in Alabama at this time period was extremely difficult. The racial discrimination in the south was unparalleled to anything else at the time. You were held at higher standards than the average “white soldier” which was already incredibly difficult. In the movie, The black cadets encounter extreme racism from their major. The scene when the major asks one of the cadets why does he want to be in the army is a very profound scene in my opinion. He replies “to protect and serve my country”, but the major responds “it’s not

your country boy…” This particular scene gave me a unique perspective that allowed me to empathize for blacks at the time.
Although racism kept being a strong factor in the black cadets mind, a good amount of the cadets survive and become the first all African American soldiers to complete their training and enter the Army Air Corps.

The movie portrayed countless facts and brought them to the screen, but they also had a few historical inaccuracy. The scene when First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt gets on the plane with an unnamed cadet. In real life, the pilot she encountered was Alfred C Anderson or “Chief.” The scene did not happen as gracefully s the movie depicts it. Another blemish with the movie is that they only put the spotlight on the fighter planes. Even though 40 percent of tuskegee pilots became bomber pilots. The biggest flaw in the movie is when one of the cadets commits suicide in the plane. According to various sources, this event never happened and was completely a “Hollywood Scene.” Some propaganda in the movie is when the elderly white man produced counterfeit documents stating that African Americans brain can not allow them to fly in the Air Force. This showed the length a person would go to prevent someone that looks different to be devalued as a pilot and as an equal to the white man. The Tuskegee Airmen had a very difficult path to becoming the First African American air force

members.
Tuskegee Airmen has a great plot line overall and a wonderful cast in my opinion. The acting was very excellent and I thought they capture the full experience of The Tuskegee Airmen. Also, the movie was accurate in emotional tension and how much the black pilots stuck together. They remained a brotherhood and were fueled by being up against the odds. They left an imprint on the U.S. Military that has led to our very diverse military structure we have in present day. Without these men being as brave and driven as they were , who knows where our country would be today. This led to the battle against racial discrimination and blacks being valued as equals. This was essential to the growth of our economy and social acceptance as a culture. The Tuskegee Airmen will forever be remembered as a being the foundation of black excellence and the beginning a movement that changed the United States.