Illinois To Dedicate I-57 To First Black Military Airmen
by SheRico Jones
State Representative Marlow Colvin is honoring the Tuskegee Airmen who served as Americas first African American military airmen during World War 2 by naming a stretch of Interstate 57 after them.
Interstate 57, which runs from Missouri to Chicago, is the longest interstate in Illinois. The stretch of the interstate from 127th street near Blue Island to Sauk Trail in Sauk Village will be renamed Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway.
Every member of the Tuskegee Airmen possessed a strong desire to serve their county during World War II to the best of their ability. Colvin said in a press release from the Illinois House of Representatives. But their legacy has reached far beyond their military service as they have paved the way for thousands of young African Americans to serve and take leadership roles in our armed services, rising to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as Colin Powell has, to now Commander in Chief Barack Obama.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first group of African Americans to enlist in the United States military as airmen. This came during a time where it was widely believed that African American males lacked intelligence and. Their service took place during the days of segregation and Jim Crowe laws, therefore the airman were trained at separate facilities and faced a great deal of racism both in battle and in everyday life.
Although they held the same rank and performed the same duties as their Caucasian counterparts, there was a rule that the African-American airmen were not allowed to enter the bases Field Officers Club. One day, the tensions reached a boiling point and the African-American airmen demanded entry. One hundred-three of them were arrested and charged with insubordination. The charges were dropped against 102 of the officers, but Lt. Roger Terry was convicted.
In August 1995, the charges were dropped against all of the airmen, including Terry. Fifteen of them had their military records cleared. The rest were given instructions on how to clear their records.
The dedication of I-57 to the Tuskegee Airmen is currently a joint resolution that is still in the Illinois Senate. According to the Illinois General Assembly website, the next hearing will be held on May 13th at 9:40AM in Springfield. For more information or to see the full text of the resolution visit ilga.gov and search: HJR0028.
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