 Robinson's decision to accept the commission was based on several factors.First, Robinson and his colleagues were political and military activists motivated to aid Ethiopia as it was threatened by an imperialistic Italy under Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini; and as Ethiopia was non-colonized, it represented the larger idea of a free and independent Africa that Robinson supported.Second, opportunities for black aviators in the United States were limited, particularly in the U.S. Army Air Corps, where all African-Americans were explicitly prohibited from service.