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Museum presents exhibit on Tuskegee Airmen
By JORGE SANCHEZ, Times Staff Writer INVERNESS -- The Old Courthouse Heritage Museum will commemorate Black History Month in February with a series of local historical programs and an exhibit about the Tuskegee Airmen. A black history discussion program, "The Way We Were," will be from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday at the museum in downtown Inverness. Participants can bring artifacts, pictures and books to share during the open discussion format. The materials also can be copied for the museum's photographic archives. The exhibit honoring the Tuskegee Airmen, sponsored by Florida Power, opened Monday. "It has a lot of wonderful pictures and artifacts," said Laurie Diestler, a staffer at the Heritage Museum. "It's very well presented." Among the display items are lifesize pictures of the Tuskegee Airmen, recordings of interviews, fighter plane models and artifacts such as a parachute and a radio. The Tuskegee Airmen were fighter pilots who trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama in World War II. The all-black 99th Fighter Squadron and 332nd Fighter Group flew 15,000 combat missions and shot down 111 German aircraft. The Old Courthouse Heritage Museum also has planned the following community events to commemorate Black History Month. Many of the programs have been organized by Alida Langley and Lucille Tompkins, Citrus residents and black community leaders. On Feb. 9, from noon to 1 p.m., Inverness Primary School principal Teretta Charles will moderate a panel discussion, "The Next Generation, Getting it Right From the Youth of Citrus County." On Feb. 16, the Booker T. Washington Alumni Association of Inverness will meet from noon to 2 p.m. The guest speaker is Arnett T. Doctor, a consultant on the movie Rosewood. The reunion also will feature gospel music from area choirs. On Feb. 23, the Rev. Emily Gillespie will be the moderator for a program, "The Black Military Experience," from noon to 1 p.m. The final Black History Month program, from noon 1 p.m. March 9, will be about the Tuskegee Airmen. Presenters Lynn Homan and Thomas Riley, researchers for the Tuskegee exhibit, will share more information from their interviews with 10 of the fliers. The Old Courthouse Heritage Museum is on the Courthouse Square in downtown Inverness. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. There is no admission charge. Call 341-6436.
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