North St. Louis high school gets $2.4M field honoring Tuskegee Airmen

ST. LOUIS – The City of St. Louis has completed a $2.4 million renovation of the athletic field at Sumner High School in north St. Louis. The facility, named Tuskegee Airmen Field, honors seven Sumner graduates who served as Tuskegee Airmen.

The project transformed the location into the city’s only artificial turf facility. Renovations included installing artificial turf, a new track, bleachers, a scoreboard, fencing, and an updated PA system to host youth football, soccer, and lacrosse games.

Juakena Callion, commissioner of recreation, noted that the upgraded facility creates new athletic opportunities for local youth.

“It’s a dream for our boys, our girls that cheer on the field, that actually play on the field as well,” Callion said. “We have girls that play football as well, but we also would like our soccer teams to be able to have a safe place to play.”

Students using the venue noted immediate improvements.

The restoration carries added significance for North St. Louis after a tornado devastated the area last year. Julia Allen, a Sumner High School alumna, described the renewed facility as a positive sign for community recovery.

“It gives me hope, hope for the neighborhood, hope for the kids who need a safe place to come and learn or play sports or whatever,” Allen said. “I think it’s just saying it’s a new beginning. People have not forgotten you.”

Community military leaders emphasized the historic connection between the high school and the famed aviators. Major Yolandea Wood, president of the Tuskegee Airmen Hugh J. White Chapter, spoke about the legacy inspiring future generations. “I’m glad you have this field, because this field will be the opportunity for others to excel,” Wood said.

For older graduates, the project serves as a point of school identity and heritage. Jacqueline Paul-Watkins, a member of the Sumner High School class of 1969, highlighted the sense of ownership for neighborhood youth. “Just to have something for the children to model and look at it and say, we own this,” Paul-Watkins said. “This is our pride. This is Bulldog pride.”

The city will officially mark the opening Sunday at 10:30 a.m. with a homecoming celebration and youth football game at Tuskegee Airmen Field.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published.