A dedication ceremony this Friday marks the opening of Alfonza W. Davis Middle School.
The ceremony for Alfonza W. Davis Middle School, at 132nd and State Streets, begins at 5pm. The school is named for Tuskegee Airman Alfonza W. Davis. He was the first black pilot from Omaha to earn his wings as a Tuskegee Airman, and flew missions during World War Two.
Dan Bartels, principal of Davis Middle School, says the school includes a museum documenting the history of the Tuskegee Airmen.
“We think it’s very important because having his name on this building will add to the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and not only what they meant to this country, but also to civil rights and the civil rights movement in this country.”
Among those attending Friday’s ceremony will be members of Davis’ family.
Davis was valedictorian of his graduating class at Omaha Technical High School in 1937, and graduated from Omaha University, which is now UNO. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1942. Davis Middle School’s mascot will be the Aviators.
400 students in sixth and seventh grades will attend Davis Middle School starting August 14. In the 2014 school year, they’ll be joined by 200 to 225 eighth graders.