On this day in 1954, Benjamin Davis Jr. became the first Black general in the United States armed forces.
In 1941, the same year America entered into World War II, Black military pilots began training at the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama. A member of that first graduating class was Davis Jr., who immediately after training was granted command of an all-Black unit. With his leadership, the group flew their way into the history books, completing a number of dangerous missions in Germany and Italy.
President Harry Truman signed an executive order in 1948 which integrated the armed forces. Davis Jr. was tasked with drafting a report on how the branch should accomplish this objective. Today, we salute Davis Jr. for his barrier-breaking work.
All this and more on “Prime.”
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