From 1941-1946, some 1,000 Black pilots were trained at Tuskegee. The all Black, 332nd Fighter Group consisted originally of four fighter squadrons, the 99th, the 100th, the 301st and the 302nd. Did you know that there were Haitians recruited to fight in World War II for the United States? In 1942, Haitian President Élie Lescot implemented an aviation corps program, the U.S. government needed the Haitians to organize a patrol of the Caribbean Sea during World War II and gave the Haitian government six airplanes. These airplanes could carry bombs and could be used to attack German submarines within that area. There were at least 5 pilots went for training at the Tuskegee Institute, and most of them were in the Haitian Army or Airforce. Alix Pasquet, Raymond Cassagnol, Ludovic Audant, Eberle J. Guilbau, and Nicolas Pelissier. I prefer peace over war, but salute.
Black History 365 | # 142 Kerry James Marshall
Kerry James Marshall is a painter, photographer, printmaker, and installation artist, He best known for large-scale paintings that reflect his engagement with social history, the civil rights movement, and his experiences as an African American, Marshall is represented in more than 30 public collections. He has heavy duty tough work. Check it out.
Black History 365 | # 140 Michael Jordan
We know Mike. SUPER DUTY HEAVY TOUGH WORK INTERNATIONAL WORLDWIDE LEGEND. Do your googles. I just had to illustrate him. This was mandatory for me.
Black History 365 | # 141 Christopher Columbus Statue in Santo Domingo
According to The Orlando Sentinel, Dominicans make no bones about Christopher Columbus. His statue is a feature in a Jack Cana tour. The website states “The Christopher Columbus monument is located in the colonial city of Santo Domingo. Columbus Park is the exact spot where the statue is erected, surrounded by other very important historical buildings such as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Incarnation, considered the first cathedral in America.”
Black History 365 | # 146 Rafael Trujillo
General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo came to power in 1930 and established an oppressive dictatorship in the Dominican Republic that lasted until his assassination in 1961. El Jefe (The Chief), as Trujillo was called, used his secret police to make arrests at will. The most infamous moment during his presidency was the massacre of thousands of Haitian citizens in 1937. Trujillo’s soldiers murdered Haitians working as sugar cane cutters or living in Dominican territory. Estimates of the men, women and children killed range from 13,000 to 20,000. It is a dark part of history that hasn’t much helped uniting the people on the Island of Hispaniola. Trujillo was also of part-Haitian descent.