To find out how to bring The fly with banning traveling exhibit or the flying hobos play to your school, library, or organization, contact us!

The Flying Hobos (play)

The Flying Hobos is a living history interactive play that is a celebration of one of America’s great African American aviation heroes--James Herman Banning.  Despite the racial barriers of his time in early 20th century America, Banning would see his dream to fly realized through sheer will, and his ingenuity in building his own plane and becoming the first black aviator to fly across the continental US. But it was also more than just STEM - was about overcoming prejudice, communications, fundraising, marketing, and getting a supportive minority public behind his vision.  His story reflects how STEM plays out in the real world at its best. Jeantique Oriol, who plays Banning, and Lamar Cheston, who plays Allen, have starred in the Broadway show Black Angels Over Tuskegee. This plays is designed to show the audience the many skills these men needed to complete their journey. After the play, the audience is given an opportunity to talk to “Banning” and “Allen” ask them questions about their life and times.  The play can be performed in schools, libraries, museums and universities—in large venues and small.

Fly with Banning (Exhibition)

The Fly with Banning traveling exhibition engages entire communities and helps build bridges between formal and informal education. It is designed to fit into schools, libraries and community centers. Many of the words that are on the storyboards are Banning’s own words so that he is speaking to the audience. There is also a wheel that children can spin to find out how they did on their first flight in a biplane. Trust me, many crash! Some land in an unhappy farmer’s field.