Often during Black History Month, we hear of the same names over and over.  Of course there are many unsung heroes also.  Read below to learn about one of them.  If you’d like to read about more of them you can go to https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2023/02/us/black-history-month-unsung-heroes

This Black Latino pilot fought against racial segregation in the US military
Esteban Hotesse spent years training to fight overseas, but his toughest battle, against discrimination and racism, was in America.  Hotesse enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in 1942 and was a member of the 477th Bombardment Group M, which in 1944 was tasked with training what would become known as the Tuskegee Airmen, a combat fighter unit of primarily Black aviators whose heroism during World War II become legendary. In 1945, the Dominican-born officer and his unit were transferred to Freeman Field, a US Army Air Forces base near Seymour, Indiana.  

At Freeman Field, Col. Robert Selway, a White officer and the first commanding officer of the Tuskegee Airmen's 477th Bombardment Group M, segregated officers’ clubs, in violation of Air Force regulations. Selway had designated the officers' club for "instructors" only, who were White, and classified members of the Tuskegee Airmen as “trainees,” thus barring them from the officers' club.  In protest, Hotesse and dozens of other Black officers walked into the White-only officers' club peacefully in violation of base regulations and were arrested but later released.  Their protest, known as the "Freeman Field Mutiny,” paved the way for historic changes in the military. It is believed that the events at the base prompted President Harry Truman to ban segregation in the military, and that protest became a model for the civil rights movement.  Hotesse was never deployed overseas and died in July 1945 during a training exercise. He was 26 years old.  Contributed by Kim Blackford.  Interested in joining the Peace and Justice Ministry?  Call or text Saralou Hendrickson at 314-440-2020.