When the United States entered World War II, the idea that black troops had the skills or courage to fight alongside white soldiers in the war was foreign. "Compared to the white man, [a black man] certainly has an inferior mentality. He has an inherently weak character." said a War Department report. As a result, the armed forces were highly segregated. African Americans were often given the most menial jobs and barred from enlisting in certain branches of the military like the Marines or Air Corps. Yet, one million two hundred thousand African Americans fought in World War II (Jim Crow 1). And in doing so, they proved once and for all that Black Americans deserve a chance to fight for their country. Among these soldiers were the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black fighter pilots. They outperformed other white escort squadrons and achieved fame and glory with their impressive flying. But more than that, they forever destroyed the assumption that African Americans lacked the skills to fight in war. The Tuskegee Airmen faced racism and underwent rigorous training, but flew excellently during World War II, contributing to the eventual integration of all armed forces. In the 1930s, the military's admissions policies were largely based on cruel and unfounded generalizations about African Americans and their views. pretending to be science. However, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt was re-elected in 1940, it was only with the support of black voters. Eager to build this support, and at the request of civil rights groups like the NAACP, he ordered the Army Air Corps to establish a flight school in Tuskegee, Alabama ("Black Eagles" 1). It was held at Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University, a...... middle of paper...... men and women. 450 of these graduates actually fought in World War II (“Black Eagles” 1). Today, the Tuskegee Airmen is a nonprofit organization committed to helping others achieve their dreams and fly. In conclusion, the Tuskegee Airmen overcame overwhelming racism to train to become fighter pilots. They persevered despite cramped conditions and racist instructors to graduate and fight for their country. They flew to glory during World War II, impressing even their most devoted critics with their record-breaking aviation. And more importantly, they proved to all of America that black soldiers deserved their place on the battlefield. As Tuskegee graduate Calvin Moret says, “I don’t know if we thought that’s what we were trying to do at the time.” But it certainly helped prove…that we had capabilities that so many people didn't think about. we had. "