African-Americans in Aviation Traveling Museum visits Coast schools

Kicking off Black History Month, a traveling museum is visiting multiple Coast schools to teach students the roles Black Americans played in aviation and aerospace.

Eighth grader Ty Bowen said, “We basically learned about the history of African-Americans in aviation. I really like it and hope I can learn more.”

Seventh grader Marcella Hoffman said, “There’s just so many people that you’ve never heard of and it’s interesting to learn about them.”

Pass Christian Middle School students started off their day with a history lesson from Chauncy Spencer II. His father was a Tuskegee airman and helped desegregate the military. Spencer has made it his mission to educate others about the roles African Americans have played in the industry by visiting schools across the country with his mobile museum. “Coming here I had some feelings because of the injustice black people were treated as, but then again, you have to understand America changes and it’s the people that changed America. I’m glad to see that the people here are making this a better America. For you to travel to different places and to talk to you never really know what the responses are, but this was definitely a worthwhile trip.”

Pass Christian Middle School Principal Dr. Beth Bellipanni said, “I hope the students are inspired to pursue careers in aviation, but also inspired by the stories of the individuals that are a part of this to inspire them to become anything they dreamed that they could be.”

The Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum was able to bring the mobile unit to Mississippi through a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council.

The public can also check it out this weekend at the museum located on Pass Road in Gulfport. It’s included in the general admission price of $14 dollar for adults and $7 for children.