Retired Lt. Col. Yarbough shares life experiences at Liberty Middle
MADISON – For Black History Month, an accomplished veteran visited Liberty Middle School to share his life experiences and narratives of Black leaders.
Retired Lt. Col. Michael Yarbrough inspired Liberty students during the session. He left messages for them to consider:
•“If in doubt, don’t ‘self-eliminate’ in quest of something you want to do.”
• “Don’t let preconceived notions stop you from trying something.”
“Lt. Col. Yarbourgh’s brief, succinct speech was in keeping with Liberty’s theme of Black History Month: ‘Standing on Greatness: Past, Present and Future Through Legacy, Impact and Leadership,’” John Peck said. Peck is Manager of Public Relations for Madison City Schools.
During Yarbrough’s presentation, he told the story of Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license, which she accomplished in 1921. Yarbrough also discussed the famed Tuskegee Airmen and their rise to greatness against racial odds; their lives are examples of Yarbrough’s recommendation to remain committed in pursuits.
In Liberty’s gym, the sessions to observe Black History Month were distributed across the three grade levels (grades six, seven and eight). Entertainment for the program included musical selections by Liberty Lions Band and Liberty Lions Choir; the “National Black Anthem” was one selection. A student group performed a step routine.
In a ‘living history’ segment, students acted as re-enactors to play the roles of famous Black individuals. “Student audience members had to guess who the re-enactors were,” Peck said.
For the program’s finale, Liberty Assistant Principal Alison Young gave closing remarks.
Yarbrough served 23 years as an officer in the United States Air Force. As a pilot, he accumulated more than 5,000 flying hours in various types of aircraft, including the E-3 AWACS, T-1 Jayhawk, T-6 Texan, T-37 Tweet and E-11 BACN.
In addition, he served as an advanced agent for Air Force One, directly supporting three U.S. presidential administrations – President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump in his first term and President Joe Biden. Yarbrough held numerous leadership positions at the flight, squadron, group and wing levels.
His path in education led to earning college degrees at Tennessee State University in Nashville and at Norwich University, a private university in Northfield, Vt. Yarbrough later served a storied military career, Peck said.
Yarbrough retired from active duty in 2023. He joined American Airlines and currently works as a First Officer on the Airbus 319, 320 and 321. His son, Reese, graduated from James Clemens in 2023. His other son, Myles, plans to graduate from James Clemens in 2027.
