News Americas, WASHINGTON, Friday, June 28, 2019: A Caribbean national has made history as the first Caribbean-born President of the Tuskegee Airmen East Coast Chapter.
Gabriel J. Christian, Esq., born in the Commonwealth of Dominica and from Maryland, became president of the prestigious organization in December 2018. In so doing, he is keeping the legacy of his father, Wendell McKenzie Christian, who was a British Army World War II veteran.
Attorney Christian is an attorney, an author and has been a long-standing and active volunteer member of ECCTAI for over a decade while also serving as lead counsel at his Bowie-based law practice: The Maryland Law Offices of Gabriel J. Christian & Associates.
Having been raised by a decorated fireman father and a dutiful mother who impressed upon him the importance of civil services, Christian seeks to preserve the legacy of the proud Tuskegee Airmen.
“Their successes expanded the bounds of freedom and equality for all people, at home and abroad,” he said.
The East Coast Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc,. (ECCTAI), is the largest and most active chapter in the national organization and brings together — in the spirit of friendship and goodwill — all who share in the aspirations and successes of the men and women who pioneered military aviation in the Tuskegee Airmen; a group of Black military pilots who fought in World War II.
This summer, Christian led the Tuskegee Airmen by organizing and hosting a historic fundraising event which featured two prominent Caribbean nationals during its 2019 Tuskegee Youth In Aviation Breakfast Fundraiser on May 25th in Oxon Hill, Maryland under the theme: ‘Honoring the Legacy of Excellence.’
The event’s keynote speaker was Jamaican-native islander Robert Rashford, an internationally known aerospace engineer who makes tools for use in outer space.
His wide-ranging work has earned him many awards including four awards from NASA for his work on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite and the Hubble Space Telescope. He also received an award for Excellence in Science and Technology from the Institute of Caribbean Studies.
“Expect challenges in your life; if you have no challenges, you do not live- use each one to motivate you to achieve great things,” he advises youth. He also urged them to challenge themselves.
“At a time when space exploration is key to the survival of our species, our scholarship program helps fund activities that promote aerospace and youth leadership development, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” said Christian.
ECCTAI is dedicated to fostering recognition of and preserving the history of Black achievements in aviation, and to inspiring and motivating young men and women toward endeavors in aviation and aerospace careers.
For more on ECCTAI and to start making a difference, log on to https://ecctai.org/.
