The Coca-Cola Company commissioned me to create a commemorative montage painting of the Tuskegee Airmen to be presented at a Veteran’s Day corporate event. This painting honors the pioneering Black aviators, who fought two wars... one against a military enemy force overseas and another against racism at home. The montage pays tribute to the airmen and bombardiers, but also those who supported them on the ground as instructors, nurses, maintenance, and support staff.

The Tuskegee Airmen, pioneering African American military pilots during World War II, shattered racist assumptions about their capabilities through valor and skill. Despite facing discrimination and skepticism from white commanding officers, the Tuskegee recruits completed an intensive flight training program in Alabama to become the first Black aviators in the newly formed U.S. Air Force. Sent abroad to North Africa and Europe, Tuskegee fighter and bomber pilots flew over 1,500 missions, exhibiting outstanding combat performance. With a distinguished record protecting heavy bombers, the all-Black Tuskegee flying units accumulated medals and honors while paving the way for the postwar integration of the military. Their illustrious service disproved bigoted beliefs in African American inferiority under pressure, courageously laying the foundation for future Black Americans to aim high and ascend to the skies without limits. The red-tailed feats and fearless determination of the Tuskegee Airmen will forever soar as an inspiration.