Tuskegee combat pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Harold Brown, inspired middle and high school children from Miami-Dade County public schools
MIAMI — Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL;NYSE: CUK), the world’s largest leisure travel company, recently presented an inspirational tribute to the legendary Tuskegee Airmen with a traveling exhibit called “Rise Above” held at the Miami-Opa Locka Airport. Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Harold Brown, a 94-year-old former Tuskegee combat pilot, shared his unique experiences as a fighter pilot with middle and high school students from Miami-Dade County public schools. The students also witnessed flights of a fully restored World War II-era P-51C Mustang with the unique red tail paint scheme that was a hallmark of the Tuskegee Airmen and a screening of the film “Rise Above” in a mobile panoramic theater.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the U.S. military’s first African American pilots, navigators, bombardiers and support personnel, known for their extraordinary skill and courage during World War II. The success and dedication of the Tuskegee Airmen in the Civilian Pilot Training Program and U.S. Army Air Corps (predecessor to the Air Force) played a leading role in the desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces in 1948.
“Rise Above” used the hi-story, valor and achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen to motivate middle and high school-age children to consider careers in aviation, cyber-security, robotics, drones, STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math) and more. In addition, the program stressed entrepreneurship, the arts and other self-development interests such as music, theater and dance.
The exhibit was organized by the South Florida Aerospace Scholarship Corporation (SFASC), which over its 25-year history has provided financial aid to more than 500 South Florida Air Force ROTC cadets.
The “Rise Above” exhibit was supported by Signature Flight Support, a fixed base operator (FBO) at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (OPF), which provides its aviation facilities and services. Signature Flight Support is the world’s largest FBO offering facilities and services to owners of large privately-owned and corporate aircraft.
Carnival Corporation’s commitment to community engagement, diversity and inclusion has long been a priority and has continued to expand under the leadership of Arnold Donald, who has served as CEO since July 2013. A strong believer that diversity of thinking drives innovation, Donald supports community engagement, diversity and inclusion, and has appointed numerous diverse and dynamic leaders from a wide variety of backgrounds into key leadership roles.
“Carnival Corporation is proud to welcome the Tuskegee Airmen and Red Tail Squadron to South Florida,” said Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corporation, whose brands include namesake Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn. “The important objective of this initiative is to introduce America’s youth to the Tuskegee Airmen. As students learn about the courage, dedication and sacrifices the Tuskegee Airmen made for America, despite challenging circumstances, we hope that students and other visitors will be touched by the story and find it a source of inspiration for their own lives.”
“We are fortunate to have the support of Carnival Corporation as host and sponsor,” Stan Bodner, Retired Air Force Colonel and event organizer. “This will provide a special opportunity to positively impact and inspire the lives and future careers of young boys and girls from South Florida schools attending this exciting exhibit”
To learn more about the Red Tail Squadron’s “Rise Above” outreach program, visit its website at https://www.redtail.org/rise-red-tail/.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is the world’s largest leisure travel company and among the most profitable and financially strong in the cruise and vacation industries, with a portfolio of 10 dynamic brands that include nine of the world’s leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard, as well as Fathom, the corporation’s immersion and enrichment experience brand.
Together, the corporation’s cruise lines operate 103 ships with 234,000 lower berths visiting over 700 ports around the world, with 22 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2018 and 2025. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.
In 2017, Fast Company recognized Carnival Corporation as being among the “Top 10 Most Innovative Companies” in both the design and travel categories. Fast Company specifically recognized Carnival Corporation for its work in developing Ocean Medallion™, a high-tech wearable device that enables the world’s first interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of customized service.
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