Benjamin O. Davis Jr.

Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was a pioneering African American general in the United States Air Force. Born in 1912, he became the first Black man to graduate from the U.S. Army Air Forces’ pilot training program. During World War II, he led the Tuskegee Airmen, the first group of African American military pilots, who played a crucial role in combat missions and challenged racial segregation in the armed forces. Davis’s leadership and courage helped break down barriers for future generations of Black servicemen and women, earning him considerable recognition, including a promotion to four-star general later in his career.