Citizenship & PSHEE
Red Tails is a film about a squadron of black fighter pilots during World War ll. At this time, there was racial segregation in many areas of American society including the army, navy and air force, which meant that the men were in a ‘blacks only’ squadron.
The film is based on a true story and Dr. Roscoe Brown, one of the original Tuskegee airmen who consulted on the film, explains:
It is about us overcoming the obstacle of racism with excellence and friendship, camaraderie and discipline. Those are the eternal lessons that affect anybody...
Look closely at these original images of the Tuskegee airmen:
- In what ways do these images illustrate the qualities of friendship, camaraderie and discipline mentioned by Dr. Roscoe Brown?
- What else do the images suggest to you about life as a Tuskegee airman?
- Why do you think these images were taken?
- What other personal qualities do you think would have been required by a fighter pilot during wartime?