Aeronautics Curator Von Hardesty will give a presentation on the new Black Wings exhibit in the Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery and offer a perspective on African American pioneer aviators, past and present. He will also discuss the new Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service's version of the exhibit to be launched this coming summer.
The Ask An Expert lecture series at the National Mall building is presented every Wednesday at noon. A Museum staff member talks to the public about the history, collection, or personalities related to a specific artifact or exhibition in the Museum.
The invention of the airplane sparked a revolution in modern technology. In the popular mind, the new air age became associated with adventure and heroism. African Americans shared the widespread enthusiasm for flying, but they found themselves routinely denied access to training as pilots and mechanics.
Beginning in the 1920s, a small number of determined black air enthusiasts challenged racial discrimination. With great effort—and against formidable odds—they realized their dream to fly.