Distinguished pilot Kenyatta “Keny” Ruffin sat down with Dean Robert Kraus on Friday, Feb. 21, to discuss his achievements and personal philosophies in celebration of Black History Month.
Hosted in the Memorial Union Ballroom from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., Ruffin, a former military aviator, White House fellow, commercial pilot, and recipient of numerous prestigious awards and honors, spent the hour sharing stories and anecdotes from his life, all of which served to motivate those in attendance and inspire the audience to be the best that they can be.
Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Art Malloy kicked off the “fireside chat” by paying tribute to everyone, past and present, who has fought for civil rights.
“We can all proudly observe Black History Month because it took each of us to achieve what has been achieved,” Malloy said. “And together, we can face any challenge that comes our way.”
Malloy’s words were followed by an introduction of Ruffin by Abraham Akinbobola, a sophomore at UND majoring in Commercial Aviation.
Although Ruffin had never previously visited UND, he is tied to the University through both Dean Kraus and President Andrew Armacost with Kraus having taught Ruffin over 20 years ago at the United States Air Force Academy and Armacost having served in the Air Force as a Brigadier General.
Those in attendance, which included the President and First Lady Kathy Armacost as well as various academic deans and other faculty, not to mention a sizable number of students, listened intently as Ruffin shared stories from his life that ranged from humorous to harrowing. He covered everything from the birth of his passion for flying as a young boy to a particularly intense fire support mission he partook in while serving in Iraq.
One of Ruffin’s biggest points of pride is his service in the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, a unit directly descended from the 332nd Fighter Group better known as the “Tuskegee Airmen.” This group holds particular significance for Ruffin and many others.
“The Tuskegee Airmen, of course, were the first black military pilots in the world,” Ruffin said. “So, to be a real, actual Tuskegee Airman myself was just absolutely incredible.”
After returning from deployment in Iraq, Ruffin was able to speak with Colonel Fitzroy “Buck” Newsum, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, an event which Ruffin recalled on the stage with great emotion.
“He understood some of what I went through, and it was amazing,” he said.
One of Ruffin’s biggest accomplishments following his military career was the creation of the Legacy Flight Academy, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging youths to pursue aviation. That spirit of being a mentor and inspiring others, he believes, is what giving back is all about.
“It’s worth it if, today, in this room, there’s one person who is inspired to dig a little bit deeper,” he said. “It’s worth it if one person will push a little bit harder. It’s worth it if one person will aim a little bit higher.”
Quinn Berg is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at quinn.berg@und.edu.
