Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site: A Look Back at History of Heroes

 AAE recently visited Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in Alabama. The site is the former airbase where the famed Tuskegee Airmen trained as combat pilots before heading off to World War II. The base was built in 1941. 

Civil and human rights activists pressed for the U.S. military to include African Americans in the Army Air Corps program to fight in the war. This pressure resulted in creation of the Tuskegee Airmen. The Airmen would overcome segregation and racism to become one of the most highly regarded fighting units of the wartime.

The sign above has information about the history of the base and its original buildings and what they were used for. 

This overlook view of the base shows the main hangar. Pilots were trained, planes were maintained and other activities helped create a well-prepared combat force that made its mark in the war effort. 

Pictured is a bust of Robert Moton, for whom the airfield is named. He was the second president of Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University. 

The "ghost building" shown here is a frame outline of one of the original buildings on the base that is no longer standing. It is designed to show the dimensions and location of the building to give modern-day visitors a sense of what the base looked like when it was fully operational. 

Officers from the Army Air Corps were assigned to lead training at Tuskegee Institute/Moton Field. They provided cadets with textbooks, flying clothes, parachutes and mechanic suits. Tuskegee Institute served as a civilian contractor, and supplied facilities for the aircraft and personnel, including quarters and a dining hall for cadets, hangars, maintenance shops and more. 

Georgia Resuming Vehicle Emissions Tests after Suspension

Vehicle emissions tests in Georgia will resume Thursday, April 8, after a week-long system outage.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division halted the inspections last week after the vendor for multiple states identified and stopped a malware attack.

The problem prevented the transmission of information to and from inspection stations in eight states.

On Thursday, vehicle owners can obtain emissions tests.

The outage meant that anyone who registered or renewed a vehicle between March 31 and April 8 did not need to get an emissions test until next year's renewal period.

But emissions tests will be required for motorists registering or renewing a vehicle starting Friday.

Georgia EPD Temporarily Suspends Emissions Tests

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division recently discovered a widespread system outage that affected the transmission of information to and from vehicle emissions inspection stations in Georgia. As a result, most vehicle emissions inspection stations are not able to conduct emissions inspections.

 In response to this incident, EPD has temporarily waived the emissions inspection requirement for any vehicle that is registered or for which a registration is renewed on or after March 30, until further notice. This waiver applies only to the emissions inspection component of vehicle registration. EPD will terminate this waiver as soon as the system has been restored.

 

Please review information available regarding vehicle registration. 

Tuskegee University: HBCU with a Rich History of Achievement

 

Pictured is an image from the campus of Tuskegee University, which was once known as Tuskegee Institute, in Alabama. This historically Black private university was founded in 1881 and led by Booker T. Washington as a land-grant institution. 

Shown is The Oaks, the residence of Booker T. Washington during his term of leadership of the institution. Washington bought the grounds of a former plantation, about 100 acres, to expand the campus footprint. 

                                                        

George Washington Carver Hall is an historic academic building on the Tuskegee campus. Carver was one of the institution's most renowned professors and his grave site lies on the campus. 

Georgia Drivers 65 and Older Can Get an Exemption from Emissions Tests

Montgomery, Ala.: A State Capitol Full of Historic Significance

 

AAE recently visited Montgomery, Ala., to explore some of its cultural and historic sites. The city has been a key site in the fight for civil and human rights in the American South. Pictured above is part of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The site, which opened in 2018, is a six-acre plot that memorializes victims of deadly racial violence carried out against Black and Brown people for nearly 100 years. The victims were hanged, burned alive, beaten, drowned and shot, often by angry White mobs who sought to maintain a reign of terror over people of color. Many of the victims were falsely accused of crimes or were charged with highly questionable offenses, and in most cases they were not given anything remotely resembling a fair trial. This memorial is the first in America to acknowledge the victims of racial terror lynchings. 

The memorial's website describes it as a "sacred space for truth-telling and reflection about racial terror in America and its legacy." A companion site a few miles away in Montgomery's downtown area is the Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration. The site, on the site of a former warehouse where enslaved Black people were held, tells the story of the oppression and terrorism that African-Americans have endured throughout the history of this nation. 

This inscription at the Peace and Justice Memorial reads: Black and brown people in the United States often are presumed dangerous and guilty when they have done nothing wrong. Our history of racial inequality has created conscious and unconscious bias that has resulted in racial discrimination against people of color by law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Police shootings of unarmed men, women and children, racially biased and excessive sentencing of people convicted of crimes, and abusive prison conditions make mass incarceration a dominant issue for the poor and people of color. 

Montgomery is also home to the historic Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, which was the first church that Martin Luther King Jr. served as pastor. The church played a pivotal role in the civil and human rights movement by serving as a base of operations for the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott, which forced the city's public transportation system to serve Black passengers in the same way that Whites were served. 

Pictured is the state Capitol of Alabama, which features many historic markers that commemorate the state's progress and economic, social and political milestones. 

Looking to Trade In a Car You Still Owe Money On? Check out these tips?

 

Learn how to trade in a car that’s not paid off when buying a new car. If you haven’t completely paid your loan, we offer advice and tips on how to go about it.

We’ll also provide a checklist and tips to help you get the best deal on your trade.

https://www.autotrader.com/car-reviews/how-do-you-trade-car-you-havent-paid-248831