Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources Reading Comprehension Worksheets World War II Black History and Blacks in U.S. History

The Color of Heroes - The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen World War II

---

The Color of Heroes - The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen
Print The Color of Heroes - The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen Reading Comprehension


Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 9 to 12
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	8.23

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		briefings, downing, enemies-the, feat-as, fighter-bomber, foe-bigotry, insurmountable, newly-promoted, policy-racism, Schwarze, vogue, tactical, profound, bigotry, red-painted, racial
	content words:		War Department, African Americans, World War, As World War II, Army Air Corps, In June, Tuskegee Experiment, Pursuit Squadron, Tuskegee Institute, Booker T.

---

The Color of Heroes - The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen By Toni Lee Robinson

---

¹     In 1940, the U.S. Congress went toe to toe with the War Department. At issue was a long-standing military policy-racism. At the time, the color barrier in the U.S. military was a dense, insurmountable wall. African Americans had been allowed to serve only in support roles in World War I, as laborers, cooks and the like. The NAACP and other groups were pushing for better opportunities for black people. As World War II loomed, the military was under pressure to allow blacks into combat roles, even into the elite brotherhood of fighter pilots.
 
²     The War Department was strongly opposed to the change. Some even maintained that blacks lacked the intelligence or character to fly combat missions. In the end, the Army Air Corps was directed to test the idea of a unit of all-black fighter pilots. In June, 1941, the "Tuskegee Experiment" was launched. The 99th Pursuit Squadron was created at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. This school, founded by Booker T. Washington, was one of the few centers of higher education for African Americans. Training black pilots there would uphold the "separate but equal" policy in vogue at the time.
 
³     Candidates for the 99th had to meet the same high standards as any flight cadet. At the end of the first nine-month course, five cadets graduated as full-fledged fighter pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps. One of them, West Point graduate Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. became captain of the squad. A full support staff, from mechanics to clerks, had also been trained. The unit was placed under the command of Colonel Noel Parrish, a white man who could see past the color barrier. Still, those in power balked at giving blacks a combat role. Parrish pushed Congress to allow the 99th to fulfill its destiny in combat. Finally, the squadron was sent into battle.

Paragraphs 4 to 8:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

---

Weekly Reading Books

Create Weekly Reading Books Prepare for an entire week at once!

---

Feedback on The Color of Heroes - The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen

Leave your feedback on The Color of Heroes - The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen   (use this link if you found an error in the story)

---

World War II

World War II

---

Black History and Blacks in U.S. History

Black History and Blacks in U.S. History

---

More Lessons

High School Reading Comprehensions and High School Reading Lessons

---

Social Studies

Social Studies

United States History and Theme Units         American Government         Ancient America         Ancient China         Ancient Egypt         Ancient Greece         Ancient India         Ancient Mesopotamia         Ancient Rome         Biographies         Canadian Theme Unit         Country Theme Units         Crime and Terrorism         Economics         European History: 1600s-1800s

Explorers         Famous Educators         Geography         Grades 2-3 Social Studies Wendy's World Series         History of Books and Writing         History of Mathematics         How Can I Help?         Inventors and Inventions         Middle Ages         Renaissance         World Religion         World War I         World War II         World Wonders

---

United States

United States

American Government         Black History and Blacks in U.S. History         Children in History         Government Careers         Hispanic Heritage         How Can I Help?

Immigration         National Parks and Monuments         Native Americans         Presidents of the United States         Women's History

---

United States History

A Nation Divided (1840-1861)         A New Nation (1776-1830)         After the Civil War (1865-1870)         American Revolution         Cold War (1947-1991)         Colonial America (1492-1776)         Lewis and Clark (1804-1806)         Pearl Harbor         Spanish American War (1898)         The 1890's         The 1900's         The 1910's         The 1920's         The 1930's

The 1940's         The 1950's         The 1960's         The 1970's         The 1980's         The 1990's         The 2000's         The Civil War (1861-1865)         The Great Depression (1929-1945)         The United States Grows (1865-1900)         The War of 1812         Wild, Wild West         World War I (1914-1918)         World War II

---

50 States

Fifty States Theme Unit

---

Document Based Activities

Document Based Activities

Copyright © 2018 edHelper