Shomari Figures introduces bill calling for Tuskegee Airmen memorial in DC

WASHINGTON (WALA) - Alabama Rep. Shomari Figures has introduced the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Act, a bill that would authorize the construction of a memorial in Washington, D.C., honoring the Black military pilots and support personnel who served in World War II.

The bill is co-sponsored by Alabama’s entire House congressional delegation. If passed. the bill would authorize Tuskegee Airmen Incorporated to establish the memorial on federal land in the nation’s capital.

The Tuskegee Airmen trained in Alabama and went on to become one of the most decorated fighting forces in American history. They broke barriers in the sky while facing discrimination at home.

Figures said the Tuskegee Airmen’s courage helped pave the way for the desegregation of the U.S. military.