There was in time in this country when it was thought that Black males were incapable of doing______. Fill in the blank; flight, fly an airplane, command an Army regiment. In 1981-82, the National Air and Space Museum developed an exhibit called Black Wings, to honor the Afro-American pioneers who were involved in the early days aviation. Particular attention was paid to the men who learned to fly at Tuskegee Institute and flew in segregated fighter and bomber wings during World War II. At time of the publication of the exhibit booklet, Col. Guy Bluford became the first Afro-American to travel into orbit in August of 1983. The editor later expanded the booklet into a book. It is an excellent collection of photos and stories that has been updated to the present day. ( )

This is the book that was produced for the National Air and Space Museum exhibit back in 1983. It was later revised and published in hardback. ( )

Excellent overview of Black aviators, from the beginnings to the present. Many photos, most I'd never seen before. Goes into great detail about early aviation, Tuskegee, and the space program. You'll recognize some of these heroes, but many were new to me and were brought to life with quotes and photos. ( )