Painter Inspired By High School Student’s Essay

In Minneapolis on Glenwood Avenue there is a black-owned restaurant known as Minne’s that is the site of one of the city’s newest symbols of inspiration and perseverance.

It is the location selected by artist and painter Flahn Manly for his spectacular mural that honors the Tuskegee Airmen. He explained that his inspiration arose out of an essay that was written by high school student James Timothy Baker and that he chose the site as his canvas because it was once owned by the Baker family.

The experience that sparked Baker to write that heartfelt essay was meeting his hero and mentor, Brig. Gen. Charles McGee, who was one of the original Tuskegee Airmen. Blake wrote that the encounter was amazing and so meaningful it instilled in him the values that he aims to embody and share with his community.

When Manly found Baker’s essay he said he felt it to be a source of deep inspiration, and he was moved by its powerful connection between the younger generation and the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. He envisioned a mural that would bring the vision to life and unite the past and present together through art and history.

In capturing the spirit and determination of the Tuskegee Airmen it reflects the hope for future generations. The bold colors Manly used convey the journey experienced by the Airmen from their struggle against racial barriers to success and triumph in the air.

The mural features the Commemorative Air Force’s RISE ABOVE guiding principles: Aim High, Believe in Yourself, Use Your Brain, Be Ready to Go, Never Quit, and Expect to Win. These reinforce the CAF’s mission to educate and inspire through the amazing stories of the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs).

FMI:  cafriseabove.org/