MFAW-VT faculty member Sherri L. Smith’s new nonfiction middle grade book, Who Were the Tuskegee Airmen? has been published.  Part of the New York Times bestselling series about important figures and events, this installment chronicles the history of the first African American pilots in the US military.  In August, Sherri spoke at the Tuskegee Airmen Convention in Las Vegas, NV this month to celebrate the launch of the book.
During World War II, black Americans were fighting for their country and for freedom in Europe, yet they had to endure a totally segregated military in the United States, where they weren’t considered smart enough to become military pilots. After acquiring government funding for aviation training, civil rights activists were able to kickstart the first African American military flight program in the US at Tuskegee University in Alabama. While this book details thrilling flight missions and the grueling training sessions the Tuskegee Airmen underwent, it also shines a light on the lives of these brave men who helped pave the way for the integration of the US armed forces.