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The Schoolhouse Museum will host “CAF Rise Above,” a traveling exhibit dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American aviators who served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

The mobile movie theater will show films highlighting both the Tuskegeee Airmen and female Air Force pilots. It will be on site from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 10 and 11 at the Luter Sports Complex, located at 900 W. Main St., Smithfield.

The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. on June 10 with a short ceremony to honor Smithfield resident Tuskegee Airman William R. White, 1926-2015. Music will be provided by the Tidewater Concert Orchestra, and a presentation will be made to the White family. The ceremony will be attended by the daughter of William White, The Schoolhouse Museum Board of Governors, local dignitaries and members of Mr. White’s church—Little Mount Zion Baptist Church.

During the movie “RISE ABOVE Red Tail,” audience members are transported into the world of Black airmen during World War II to learn about the obstacles faced by America’s first Black military pilots and their support personnel—known today as the Tuskegee Airmen—as they worked toward their goal of becoming U.S. Army Air Corps pilots in the early 1940s. At the conclusion of the film, audiences experience the excitement and thrill of flying a P-51 Mustang fighter. Filmed with a 180-degree lens along with the state-of-the-art theater design, the movie experience gives attendees the feeling of flying.

The Women Airforce Service Pilot movie tells the story of this group of Americans who exhibited tremendous courage and determination in the face of many who thought that women were not capable of performing a man’s job. Despite those obstacles, these women served their country with honor and distinction during World War II.

This event is free to the public.

The Schoolhouse Museum, housed in a 1932 addition to the former Christian Home School, is dedicated to the history of African American education in Isle of Wight County. This one-room structure, while focusing on the education of Black children in the early 20th century in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, also honors the legacy of individuals who contributed to the education of these children.