WINDSOR LOCKS — While Black History Month only occurs once a year, the Connecticut Freedom Trail program works to make sure that Black history is told and remembered for a lifetime.

And now, the trail has taken to the skies, with its latest addition dedicated to the history of Black Americans who risked their lives for their country despite the racism that they had to endure.

The Connecticut Freedom Trail, established in 1995 by the General Assembly, documents and designates sites that embody the struggle toward freedom and human dignity, celebrates the accomplishments of the state's Black community, and promotes heritage tourism.

In November, the New England Air Museum was added as a site on the trail after one of its latest permanent exhibits, "Tuskegee Airmen: Their Untold Stories," opened in June.

The Tuskegee Airmen, named after the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama, were America's first Black military aviators, whose initial focus was trying keep U.S. bombers safe on their missions in enemy territory during World War II. Over the course of the war, the airmen flew 1,578 missions, destroyed 261 enemy aircraft, and won more than 850 medals.

The exhibit tells the story of the airmen through the eyes of those who survived the war, with interactive features as well as a small theater where visitors can watch a film about several of the Tuskegee Airmen and their post-war experiences.

Museum patrons can also see displays of the planes that the airmen flew, as well as a display of what the airmen wore.

"We are so thrilled and honored," museum President and CEO Stephanie Abrams said. "It reflects our commitment to preserving and sharing stories of resilience and courage of American heroes like the airmen who overcame racism. It keeps their legacy alive and reflects the museum's role as a custodian of history and education."

The exhibit's theater is named after U.S. Army Air Forces Maj. Lemuel R. Custis, who was also the first Black police officer in Hartford. In March 1942, he was one of the first five Tuskegee pilots to earn their wings. He flew more than 90 combat missions with the 99th Fighter Squadron and was one of the first Tuskegee Airmen to shoot down an enemy plane.

He later went on to serve on the air museum's board of directors before his death in 2005 at the age of 89.

Abrams said that despite the airmen having won the first "Top Gun" competition — a contest between the best of the best fighter pilots long before the U.S. Navy's version or the Tom Cruise movies — they were not able to get jobs with commercial airlines after the war because of the color of their skin.

"They were committed to excellence despite facing racism," Abrams said. "Some learned how to fly at Tuskegee before learning to drive a car."

Tammy Denease, outreach director for the Connecticut Freedom Trail, called the trail "very crucial and important."

"We've always tried to make sure the Black narrative is being told, and also told through the Black lens," she said.

To become a site on the trail Denease said that it must fit into one of four categories: Amistad, the Underground Railroad, civil rights, or the concept of freedom.

"They fit right in," Denease said of the museum's Tuskegee exhibit. "It's in harmony with educating the public."

When the trail officially opened in 1996, there were only 60 sites across 50 towns. Today, that number has swelled to 170, and the group hopes to continue to expand the trail statewide.

"The goal is to have at least one site in every municipality," Denease said.

"It's important that the Black voice is heard in the Black story," Connecticut Freedom Trail Coordinator Todd Levine said. "There have been strides over centuries, but we're not there yet. We have to be diligent to work toward equity and equality."