After talking about Tuskgee and having the presentations about the institute I just thought i'd highlight one of the famous sets of African Americans associated with the school. The Tuskegee airmen were a group of pilots during WW2 that were highly respected. Jim Crow laws were still in use, thus African Americans, even those fighting were segregated. The tuskegee airmen were the first African American pilots. They were incharge of guarding other planes, like bomber planes. Before long their reputation made them quite popular. They made strides for their people disproving the idea that African Americans were less intelligent or able bodied. This also, to me, proves another point. Washingtons system worked. It allowed people to slowly prove their self worth. The education they recieved at Tusgekee empowered students. It helped them to succeed, giving them both a positive attitute and a set of skills. Overall I think this is a perfect example of how Du Bois was perhaps a little too critical of Washtingons idea of an education. The students of Tuskegee were helping gain their peoples rights, and it offered them a source of a pride not just a key to money.Thursday, November 25, 2010
Tuskegee Airmen
After talking about Tuskgee and having the presentations about the institute I just thought i'd highlight one of the famous sets of African Americans associated with the school. The Tuskegee airmen were a group of pilots during WW2 that were highly respected. Jim Crow laws were still in use, thus African Americans, even those fighting were segregated. The tuskegee airmen were the first African American pilots. They were incharge of guarding other planes, like bomber planes. Before long their reputation made them quite popular. They made strides for their people disproving the idea that African Americans were less intelligent or able bodied. This also, to me, proves another point. Washingtons system worked. It allowed people to slowly prove their self worth. The education they recieved at Tusgekee empowered students. It helped them to succeed, giving them both a positive attitute and a set of skills. Overall I think this is a perfect example of how Du Bois was perhaps a little too critical of Washtingons idea of an education. The students of Tuskegee were helping gain their peoples rights, and it offered them a source of a pride not just a key to money.
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While researching the same topic I came across a lot on the Tuskegee Airmen. It was interesting to read about the impact they made on our history. In Washington's novel the Airmen were not mentioned at the level of importance that they seem to be in relation to the institute. I found this in an article about the Tuskegee Airmen on their impact, "Moreover, their outstanding performance served to bolster African American pride and facilitated the transition to an integrated military in the post-war years."- http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/tuskegee-airmen. Booker T. Washington's founding of this great Institute opened so many doors for the African Americans of this time.
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