Center for Missouri Studies
605 Elm St.
Columbia, Mo.
Soaring Together: A Tuskegee Airmen Story is a short film inspired by a true story, centered on World War II Tuskegee Airmen James Shipley of Tipton, Missouri, and Harry Stewart Jr. of Queens, New York. Serving as Stewart’s crew chief, Shipley worked alongside him as the two rose above prejudice and war in pursuit of freedom. Told through a Missouri lens, the film grounds a national history in lived experience, offering a deeply human chapter in the larger American story as the nation approaches its 250th year.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion exploring the history behind the film, the creative process, and the responsibility of preserving stories that have too often been buried or forgotten.
Panelists include:
Dr. Zachary Scott Clark is an actor, filmmaker, and storyteller driven by a commitment to uncovering and honoring histories that have too often been buried or forgotten. His work uses art as a bridge for empathy and understanding, shaped by lived experience, mentorship, and community engagement. Rooted in a belief that stories told with integrity and humanity can reveal how past struggles and triumphs continue to shape the present, he brings both purpose and craft to his work—an approach recognized through an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts for creative leadership and civic impact. In Soaring Together: A Tuskegee Airmen Story, he directed the film, co-wrote and co-produced the project, and portrays Tuskegee Airman pilot Harry Stewart Jr.
Jason J. Little is a St. Louis–born actor whose career began unexpectedly. He arrived at Ottawa University on a football scholarship and left on a path toward the performing arts after landing a lead role in a campus play—an unplanned turn that reshaped his future. He has since built a successful acting career across classical theater, feature film, and major television productions. In Soaring Together: A Tuskegee Airmen Story, Jason portrays James Shipley of Tipton, Missouri, Harry Stewart Jr.’s Crew Chief, bringing depth and dignity to a powerful Missouri story of service, perseverance, and legacy.
Moderating the discussion will be the film's producer, Tami Hale, who has more than a decade of experience crafting human-centered stories rooted in Missouri and The Ozarks. As a founder of Ozark Vitality, she works at the intersection of storytelling, community engagement, and economic development—using film to amplify underrepresented voices, strengthen local identity, and connect Missouri’s local histories to broader social and cultural conversations. She has produced more than 18 short films and created the My Ozarks mini-documentary series, which supports both emerging and established filmmakers in sharing meaningful, place-based stories.