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Forgotten Souls: The Search for the Lost Tuskegee Airmen

Author Talk with Cheryl W. Thompson

Join us for the release of Cheryl W. Thompson's book, Forgotten Souls: The Search for the Lost Tuskegee Airmen.

NPR investigative journalist and the daughter of a Tuskegee Airman, Cheryl W. Thompson explores the stories of the 27 Tuskegee Airmen – the Black pilots who fought for America in WWII – who went missing in combat, the lives they lived, the reasons their planes went down, why the remains of all but two were never found, and the impact their disappearances had on their families and communities.

This program will include the following:

• 45-minute conversation
• 15-minute audience Q&A
• book signing following the conversation
• Books for sale provided by the local bookstore, Solid State Books

Thank you to The DC Library Foundation for their generous purchase of 50 copies of the book to provide to attendees in need.

The DC Public Library Foundation partners with the DC Public Library to enhance Washington, DC’s public libraries, bringing private philanthropy together with government support to ensure that our libraries deliver the highest quality of service to the District’s residents. With the help of many generous people, the Foundation provides educational programs for children and youth, workforce development training, cultural events, and collection enhancements for DC’s libraries.

Register to attend and learn more about the book and the author below.

About the Book

In 1945, World War II ended one of the deadliest conflicts in history. Geared for battle were nearly 1,000 trailblazing Black pilots trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field, an unrepentantly segregated facility in Alabama. Hailing from the Iowa cornfields to the Texas Gulf Coast to the tobacco plantations of North Carolina, the Tuskegee Airmen already proved, under the toughest circumstances, to be among the most resilient and defiantly patriotic men of the Army Air Corps.

27 of them disappeared during the final critical missions in Europe. So, too, would the government’s efforts to find them or help to bring closure to the loved ones that the valiant 332nd Fighter Group left behind.

In Forgotten Souls, award-winning investigative journalist Cheryl W. Thompson delves into the true stories of the Black combat pilots who faced unimaginable racism—before, during and after the war—from a military that told them they were less than, even as their courage and aviation prowess saved scores of White brothers-in-arms from the enemy and possibly death.

As cruel as war itself could be, the friends, family, communities and fellow Tuskegee Airmen who mourned the lost pilots never imagined how unforgivable it could get. After 80 years, Forgotten Souls honors the impact they made, and the sacrifices they endured on America’s behalf.

About the Author

Cheryl W. Thompson is an award-winning investigative correspondent for
National Public Radio, an associate professor of journalism at George
Washington University, and author of Forgotten Souls: The Search for the
Lost Tuskegee Airmen. She is the recipient of more than 40 journalism
awards, including an Emmy, 5 National Headliners, and 3 from IRE -
Investigative Reporters and Editors. Thompson served as reporting coach
for the Pulitzer Prize-winning NPR podcast No Compromise. During more
than 20 years as a reporter for The Washington Post, she was part of teams
that won two Pulitzer Prizes for national reporting. She served as a Pulitzer
Prize juror for the Investigative Reporting category in 2022 and chaired the jury in 2023.
Thompson is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.,
and Investigative Reporters and Editors, where she was elected the first Black president in 2018 and
served an unprecedented three terms. She is also a founding and current board member of the Center for
Collaborative Investigative Journalism and a member of the advisory board for the Fund for Investigative
Journalism. She is currently a member of the National Press Foundation Board and the Spotlight DC Board,
and a two-time graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The daughter of a Tuskegee Airman, Thompson is a Chicago native who lives outside Washington, DC, and
can be found online at CherylWThompson.com.

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