Ron Spriggs Keeps Tuskegee Airmen History Alive at UK Event
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 5, 2020) — Ron Spriggs, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran and founder of the Ron Spriggs Exhibit of Tuskegee Airmen (RSETA), will speak on campus at an event presented by UK Air Force ROTC Detachment 290. The free public talk, which will begin 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, in the William T. Young Auditorium, will be focused on the historic military unit.
An integral part of World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen fought for the United States in defeat of the AXIS powers all while overcoming segregation. The group of African American pilots were the first African American military aviators in U.S. armed forces history.
Founded in 2002, RSETA works to communicate the importance of the Tuskegee Airmen to not only black history, but all American history. Operating on the belief that “history untold is history lost,” RSETA makes it their goal to keep the history of the Tuskegee Airmen alive through their traveling presentations.
The RSETA will be presented as part of the Year of Equity at UK’s College of Arts and Sciences. Part of the college's Passport to the World initiative, the programming intends to celebrate different history and cultures throughout the world. This is demonstrated through a series of "meaningful dialogue on issues across race, gender, ability, sexuality, class, ethnicity, citizenship status, and religion on our own campus, in central Kentucky, and around the globe." To view the full list of events for the Year of Equity visit https://equity.as.uky.edu/equity-events.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.