President Obama on Friday afternoon will host the Tuskegee Airmen and the cast and crew of the new film about the pilots called Red Tails for a screening of the movie at the White House.
The screening will be at 5:30 p.m. at the White House for the film, which will be released on Jan. 20 in theaters.
WATCH THE FIRST SEVEN MINUTES OF ‘RED TAILS’ HERE:
RT Clip from Tambay Obenson on Vimeo.
It’s not the first time Obamas has used the 40-seat theater to show a film or one about African-Americans. Last year, around Father’s Day, the White House hosted military families for a screening of the Cars 2, and in February 2011, Obama invited some key African-American leaders to see Thurgood, the HBO film about the first black Supreme Court justice.
The showing, and the placement of it on Obama’s schedule that is released to press, is also a nod to the African-American community a few days before the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. While not constantly emphasizing his status as the first black president, Obama’s decision to host these kinds of events can help with maintaining relationships with key black leaders and activists.
Follow Perry Bacon Jr. on Twitter at @perrybaconjr