By Aly Bourne
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 in 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.
The University of Kentucky is increasingly the first choice for students, faculty and staff to pursue their passions and their professional goals. In the last two years, Forbes has named UK among the best employers for diversity, and INSIGHT into Diversity recognized us as a Diversity Champion three years running. UK is ranked among the top 30 campuses in the nation for LGBTQ* inclusion and safety. UK has been judged a “Great College to Work for" two years in a row, and UK is among only 22 universities in the country on Forbes' list of "America's Best Employers." We are ranked among the top 10 percent of public institutions for research expenditures — a tangible symbol of our breadth and depth as a university focused on discovery that changes lives and communities. And our patients know and appreciate the fact that UK HealthCare has been named the state’s top hospital for four straight years. Accolades and honors are great. But they are more important for what they represent: the idea that creating a community of belonging and commitment to excellence is how we honor our mission to be not simply the University of Kentucky, but the University for Kentucky.