Original Dreamgirl, legendary Sheryl Lee Ralph is a multifaceted jewel of a woman who sparkles in every area of her life.
An acclaimed show business “pro”, her award winning body of work in film, television and the Broadway. In 2022 she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Sheryl Lee Ralph can currently be seen every week on ABC‘s highly rated “Abbott Elementary.” Tonight however, she lends her voice to National Geographic’s “The Real Red Tails.” Premiering Tonight June 3rd at 8/7c, streaming tomorrow on Disney+ and Hulu.
“The Real Red Tails” tells of the astonishing discovery of a P-39 airplane in Lake Huron, Michigan, reigniting a story lost to time and triggering one of the most important WW2 archeological missions in the Great Lakes.
(Tuskegee Airman LT. COL. (RET) James H. Harvey chats with Tuskegee Airman LT. COL. (RET) Harry T. Stewart at The Tuskegee Airmen)
On the morning of April 11th, 1944, Tuskegee pilot 22-year-old Second Lieutenant Frank Moody perished in what should have been a routine training mission when his plane malfunctioned and took a nosedive into the chilly waters.
“The Real Red Tails” is a great special spotlighting the historic Tuskegee Airman. Featuring some great archival footage of the pilots and artifacts are discovered under water, including plane propellers.
The pilots talk about the excitement of flying for the first time, achieving something they never thought they would be able to do. “Everything had to be perfect, that helped us. It helped us be better pilots, that’s why we were so good,” states James H. Harvey.
Early Black recruits were advised there were no color units and wouldn’t be any, when they would apply.
(Henry Thaddeus Stewart and James Harvey (second and third, from L to R) stand next to a military plane. – James Harvey)
The special will take viewers on a journey to uncover the 80-year-old mystery of how and why Moody’s plane ultimately went down.
Enlisting teams of underwater archaeologists to recover parts of the downed plane for the first time and weaves in firsthand accounts from fellow airmen along with underwater footage from the wreck to give a final answer to the mystery.
Aries from UB, spoke to the magnificent Sheryl Lee Ralph, about “The Real Red Tells” and how she got involved with the documentary.
Sheryl Lee Ralph also gets candid on her admiration for The Tuskegee Airmen and shares why their story is important.
Plus she speaks on her appreciation for National Geographic and leaves our readers with some encouraging words.
UrbanBridgez.com: I am really excited speaking with you as always. How are you doing today?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: I’m wonderful today. I have no real big complaints.
UrbanBridgez.com: That’s always a good thing. First, can you tell us how you actually got involved with the documentary, The Real Red Tells?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: It was through hearing my acceptance speeches over, I guess, the last a year or so, the producers heard the voice and someone decided that is the voice that we need to have to tell this story. So they got in touch with my reps, went through the details, and that was the magic, and we started.
UrbanBridgez.com: Okay. It makes a lot of sense, because you are the voice that we all listen to once you start speaking, so it makes sense.
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Oh, my gosh. Thank you very much. I hear that over and over, and I really have to thank my father for that. My dad was a lifelong learner as an educator, and he always said that the voice is a powerful thing. And that was leaning on the voice of a Paul Robison who was big in his time, his peer, Harry Belafonte. It was just so much to listen to my father speak with his voice. And I think that it just trickled down to me.
UrbanBridgez.com: I know. Yeah, definitely. Well, you own it. So that’s a beautiful thing. Tell our viewers about some of the archival footage, because I watched it as well. But tell them some of some of that.
Sheryl Lee Ralph: You know something? What we have with this piece is a wonderful story about overcoming. It is a wonderful story because in this time, there are so many who would like to erase, act as if it’s not important, the stories of Black people in America. And we know that it’s so important to tell our stories, not just as stories of Black people, but stories of Americans, true American history.
When you see these men, I don’t want people to say that it’s just those airmen, whether it’s the Colonel James Harvey or Stuart or Colonel Hardy or Frank Moody’s story.
Frank Moody’s story is important because however you look at it, very often in life and history, we’ve been used as the… medicine. We’ve been used as the guinea pigs. Very often, the Black soldier was given the most difficult task, was given the task that nobody else they felt. Well, we’re not going to try it out on them, we’ll try it on those people. I think that when you see these men, when you see that plane being unearthed, almost exactly to the year, all these years later, that Frank Moody went down, it is a testament to the fact that some stories will not die.
(Frank Moody is seen in his official military portrait, class of 1944, single engine pilots.)
Some stories will not be erased. And by the powers that be, those stories will be heard. They will be told.
UrbanBridgez.com: I love it and you also actually answered one of my other questions I had, which was to share why you feel documentaries like this are important to be made. But you actually answered that. But if you want to elaborate more, feel free.
Sheryl Lee Ralph: No, I think you’ve got it. I just love the fact that National Geographic’s in this day and time are still daring to tell the difficult story. I remember as a child reading and looking at National Geographic’s and learning about Africa. I think about things like that. And now, here it is as an adult, I get to tell this American story that young Americans of all colors and cultures are going to learn about a story that some people have tried to stamp out. But still, there’s National Geographic, and it’s going to tell you the story, and you’re going to learn.
UrbanBridgez.com: Well, said. I love it. And then you’re also a part of Black history yourself. Now, let’s just be real about that.
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Well, thank you.
UrbanBridgez.com: But what is something about The Tuskegee Airmen, that you find astonishing?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Oh, my gosh. I love the fact that they flew. They took through the skies, that they were winners, that against all odds, they did what so many others could not do or others did not think they could do. And even when they triumphed, people tried to act like it didn’t matter.
But here we are right now, and we know it matters with greatness. In fact, I would tell everybody, go visit that Smithsonian Museum, that African-American Museum in Washington, DC. You can actually see one of the planes right there in the museum. Once again, it was just laid to the side somewhere, and a gentleman found this plane that he thought, wow, who in the world flew this? And this is all true, and decided to put it all back together again. And I think he had to call the government because he needed some pieces once he found out it was a government issue. And they were like, wait a minute, what is it you’ve got? And they’re like, no, you couldn’t have that. And he was like, Not only do I have it, but I really want to fly it. And they had to work together.
Just imagine that, your history just thrown to the side and somebody says, What in the world is this and who flew this? Think about that.
UrbanBridgez.com: You have to tell everybody why they need to tune into The Real Red Tells on National Geographic, June 3rd?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: You’ve got to tune in on June third because trust and believe your history matters. Our history matters, because black, brown, in the middle, beige, I mean, dark as night and bright as the morning. Black history matters because Black history is American history. And these fliers, these pilots, these red tail pilots, they deserve to be remembered, especially Frank Moody. He may have been delayed, but his honor has not been denied.
(Tuskegee Airman LT. COL. (RET) James H. Harvey sits for an interview at The Tuskegee Airmen National Museum in Detroit.)
UrbanBridgez.com: Couldn’t agree more with you. Thank you for that. And before we wrap, can you share with our readers some wise words words from the great Sheryl Lee Ralph? Just some inspiration as we go into this new month.
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Oh, my goodness. I really, truly, as we exit Mental Health Month, the month of May, and enter into June, know how much you matter. Your story, no matter how small or how large, adds to this beautiful picture of now as human beings, human beings of African ancestry.
We matter. We are important, and you have value because trust and believe. If you are not here tomorrow, something will change for someone or a whole lot of people because you mean something. It’s the truth. People don’t realize how important they are in life. They think they’re just passing through. Just being. No, your being matters.
UrbanBridgez.com: That’s important to remind people. So thank you so much again.
Sheryl Lee Ralph: You’re welcome.
UrbanBridgez.com: And again, I want to thank you for taking time out of speaking with me. I’m always honored to speak with you, and I just want you to continue success and blessings.
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Oh, man, I receive all of that, and I don’t receive it lightly. Thank you.
UrbanBridgez.com: No problem. You have a good one.
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