Tuskegee

Tuskegee War Analysis

Who were the Tuskegee Airmen? This was a popular name of a group of African American pilots who flew throughout the World War II period. They also were known as the 332nd Fighter Group. One of the pioneers of the Tuskegee Airmen was the pilot Charles Banks from Mississippi. He was well known for influencing his fellow community, the Mound Bayou and turned it into a symbol of black progress. During this time, many blacks were thirsty for education, had an opportunity to perceive it, and pursued it with great success. Eliza Clark, known as the “mother of Clarksdale schools”, assisted the banks children with their education. Charley and his family seemed to be very attached to the Clarks. He displayed signs of honesty and promise and he left an impression upon them during his youth. The relationship was long standing and affected Charley’s views on race relations.

For blacks, social status came from being favorites by prominent white families. This mainly happened to southern blacks whose families had been enslaved. Being favorites separated them from other black families and showed the whites that they were different. Banks wrote a letter to Booker T. Washington and stated that the relationship that existed amongst his family and the Clarks demonstrated kind feelings between people of different race. Banks distanced himself from the paternalistic relationship his parents were accustomed to, therefore calling himself the “New Negro”. When Banks spoke of the early years of his life, he stated he felt really close to the Clarks. He believed blacks and whites could maintain positive relations not only during social events, but also when it came to business affairs. Charley kept close contact with the Clarks after he left Clarksdale. He would write letters updating about he health of his mother and asking Mrs. Clark about the health of her mother. He thought those who didn’t live in the South didn’t appreciate relationships that existed between blacks and whites. His optimism about