The Office of Cultural Diversity at Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC) will host a presentation of Tuskegee Airmen by Ron Spriggs at noon, Wednesday, February 15 in the Gearheart Auditorium on the Prestonsburg campus of BSCTC.
Spriggs, an eight-year veteran of the United States Air Force, started displaying exhibits and giving lectures in 2002 as an independent means of preserving the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen are not just black history, but American history.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black aviators to serve in the United States Army Air Corps., flying with distinction during World War II. Though subject to racial discrimination both home and abroad, the 996 pilots and more than 15,000 ground personnel are credited with some 15,500 combat missions and earned 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses for their achievement. The group paved the way for the eventual integration of the United States Armed Forces under President Harry Truman in 1948.
His presentation captivates audiences as he tells the stories of these gladiators of the sky. An award-winning lecturer and oral historian, Spriggs has presented all across the United States, England and Mexico.
For more information, contact Bobby McCool, dean of community development, at (606) 886-7354 or email bobby.mccool@kctcs.edu.
Story provided by: Big Sandy Community & Technical College