RANTOUL — A new mural in Rantoul unveiled this week honors the lives of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first all-Black flying squadron for the U.S. Army Air Corps.
The piece pays homage to the 99th Pursuit Squadron, which was activated at Chanute Field in Rantoul in 1941 before going on to train in Tuskegee, Alabama.
The mural by Dwight White II, a Chicago-based artist, depicts two airmen looking confidently toward the horizon as a plane flies behind them. The artwork is the newest stop on the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail, located at 707 Veterans Parkway, where it can be seen by visitors of the nearby Wabash Park.
“Our hope is that when our young people pass this, they stop and ask, ‘Who were the Tuskegee Airmen?’ and, ‘What happened right here in Rantoul?’” said Dr. Jennea Klingenberg, the founder and executive director of the H.O.Y.C.E. Center, one of the sponsors on the project who spoke at the unveiling on Monday, Aug. 31.
At the event, Rantoul Mayor Sam Hall emphasized the importance of preserving the history of the Tuskegee Airmen.
“They represented courage, excellence, perseverance and innovation, much like Rantoul,” Hall said. “I think it’s important that we recognize that history and make sure that future generations understand that as well.”
Dwight White II painted the mural in just three days, according to Heritage Trail Manager Robert White. He said the artist managed to avoid the rain that had come immediately before and after his visit.
“I’ve been a part of the majority of the murals within the Heritage Trail, and I don’t think any of them were completed this quickly, and still maintaining the quality of art that has been presented here,” Robert White said. “So it’s just amazing. Shout out to Dwight.”
At the event, Robert White shared remarks from the artist, who was not present for the unveiling: The artist had said the Rantoul community made him comfortable during the project, as passersby stopped to take photos, bring him water and ask about the piece.
Barbara Suggs-Mason, a former co-chair of the Heritage Trail and the relative of four Airmen, recounted the stories of her uncles, and what it means for this mural to finally be here in Rantoul.
“Well, it’s about time!” she said in an interview. “You know, my mother and I were driving to Chicago on I-57, and closer to Chicago, it was named the Tuskegee Airmen Highway, and she said, ‘That shouldn’t be up here! It should be by Rantoul, because that’s where it started!’”
The mural will eventually feature a plaque directing visitors to the Heritage Trail website, taking another step toward the Heritage Trail’s goal to create a “museum without walls,” Robert White said.
The mural was funded through a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Monday’s event was hosted by the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail and the Experience Champaign-Urbana Foundation.
“Our hope is that this is only the beginning — that we continue using art and history to build community, create pride, and make our young people curious about the incredible history all around them,” Klingenberg said.