Chauncey Spencer-Pioneer in Aviation and Civil Rights

Saint Louis In Tune

After seeing the flight of an aircraft at an early age, Chauncey Spencer never looked back. He helped bring about the formation of the pilot group that would become the Tuskegee Airmen. In 1939, his father and another pilot, Dale White, were part of a pilot training program in Chicago. At that time, black pilots were denied the opportunity to fly for the military. Spencer and White flew on a 10-city tour intended to show Americans the skills of black pilots. They met with then-Senator Harry Truman who later was responsible for integrating the military. His mother, Anne Spencer was an American poet and activist during the Harlem Renaissance.

Chauncey Spencer II discusses his father, grandmother, and the Chauncey Spencer Educational Services whose mission is to tell the story of African American Aviators and the major role they played in American and Military aviation.

[00:39] Background

• Chauncey Spencer Educational Services
• Army Air Corps

[03:04] Back to the beginning

• Challenger Aero Group
• John Robinson
• Curtiss Wright Flight School
• National Airmen Association of America
• Edgar Brown, the flight to Washington D.C., Dale White, and Harry Truman

[09:40] Funding black colleges in the south

• Coffey School of Aeronautics and Cornelius Coffey
• Bessie Coleman
• Tuskegee Army Airfield
• Willa Brown
• Eugene Bullard

[12:45] Traveling Museum of Chauncey Spencer Educational Services

[23:16] Importance of family and being in the arena of movers and shakers

• Autobiography, Who is Chauncey Spencer?
• Undercover agent
• James Banning
• James Sheppard

[33:59] Favorite story-Barnstorming/parachute jump

[35:10] Anne Spencer

This is Season 5! For more episodes, go to stlintune.com

#aviation #civilrights #AfricanAmerican #barnstorming #annspencer #chaunceyspencer #jamesbanning #jamessheppard #willabrown #eugenebullard #bessiecoleman #tuskegeeairmen