Ridge Mills elementary held an assembly with Tuskegee Airman, Herb Thorpe on February 17. He has done a tremendous amount of work in the Rome community to promote positivity and equity, including working with the NAACP and the Rome Afro-American Heritage Association. Thorpe is also 100 years old! Willie Talmadge, Janet Bennett, and RoAnne Destito were also in attendance at the assembly and shared experiences and wisdom with Ridge students in grades 4, 5, and 6.
"Students saw some amazing first-hand artifacts from World War II and Herb's time in service. Our students learned so much about history, inclusion, the power of persistence, and that all people are valuable and deserve kindness. We are thankful to have learned from Mr. Thorpe, Mr. Tulmach, and Ms. Bennett,” said Principal, Michael Flagg.
Thank you, Kristen Meiss, for taking these photos!
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American soldiers to successfully complete their training and enter the Army Air Corps. Almost 1000 aviators were produced as America's first African American military pilots.
Photos by Kristen Meiss