Airport hosts students for Black History Month
By DeAllous Smith

In honor of Black History Month, Hartsfield-Jackson hosted an Airport tour and luncheon February 9 for students from North Clayton, South Atlanta and Tri-Cities high schools.
 
Several Aviation leaders addressed the students during the program, including Aviation General Manager Louis Miller, Assistant General Manager and Chief Financial Officer Roosevelt Council Jr. and Interim Assistant General Manager for Operations, Maintenance and Security Richard L. Duncan.
 
“We need more bright young women and men like you to be the leaders of tomorrow and join us here at the Airport,” Council said after welcoming the students to the Gateway Conference Room. “I hope one day each of you will be a part of our team.”
 
This year’s program was a collaborative effort among Hartsfield-Jackson, Delta Air Lines and the Atlanta Chapter Tuskegee Airmen.

The program included a behind-the-scenes tour of Airport operations, a rare opportunity to interact with surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen unit and the announcement of winners of an essay-writing contest. Students were required to write essays in order to participate in the program.

During his remarks, Duncan encouraged students always to set goals for themselves.

“Choose your destination, or your destination will choose you,” he added.

Richard Duncan (center) and Samuel Jones of the Atlanta Chapter Tuskegee Airmen wait for the Black History Month program to begin.

Roosevelt Council Jr. addresses the students, who he said he hoped would be future Airport employees.

Students eat lunch as they listen to the speakers during the Black History Month program in the Gateway Conference Room on February 9.

Posing for a photo after the program are Joseph Hambrite of the Federal Aviation Administration (from left); Stan Coleman of the Atlanta Chapter Tuskegee Airmen Public Relations Committee; Elijah Cantrell of North Clayton High School, third-place essay winner; Tracy Gilbert, Hartsfield-Jackson special programs manager; Brian Settles of the Atlanta Chapter Tuskegee Airmen; Julie Julien of Tri-Cities High School, first-place essay winner; Zellie Orr, president of the Atlanta Chapter Tuskegee Airmen; Autumn Rice of North Clayton High School, second-place essay winner; Edgar Lewis of the Atlanta Chapter Tuskegee Airmen; and Samuel Jones of the Atlanta Chapter Tuskegee Airmen.