Allen and Gwen Yates were born and raised in segregated Jacksonville, Florida, but each of them had the benefit of hard-working, caring family and teachers who inspired them to aim for excellence. Growing up, Gwen traveled to Connecticut each summer, experiencing the awareness and sophistication that travel imparts. Alton, at 18, joined the United States Air Force and became a highly decorated pioneer in the nation's space program. He was featured in Ebony Magazine and received several commendations before leaving the Air Force due to urgent family obligations. Alton's road trip home to Jacksonville from New Mexico to care for his dying father was a pivotal point in his life. Proudly wearing his Air Force Uniform, the courageous young airman who had risked his life 65 times for the space program, was refused service at eateries across the United States. "We don't serve your kind." he was told. It was 1960 and Jim Crow was very much alive in America. Alton came home angry, determined to change things for the better.
