In honor of black history month a Dallas school district took 5,000 fifth-grade boys to see “Red Tails” the movie, only female students were excluded.

Instead, the girls stayed at school and were giving the option to watch “Akeelah and the Bee.”

A spokesman for the Dallas Independent School District told The Dallas Morning News that officials took only boys to see "Red Tails" Thursday because space at the movie theater was limit. The spokesman also said that leaders of the district thought boys would enjoy the movie more than girls.

The movie, which tells the legendary story of the first black aviators to serve in the U.S. military, doesn’t portray any black women and is full of action-packed scenes. But it is a film about equality regardless of race, gender, or creed.

One former Tuskegee airmen, Herbert Carter, 94, told the Associated Press he was disappointed in the school district’s decision and that everyone should see the film.

"I've heard everything else," said Carter. "This is the first time I've heard that it was unfit for female students."

Carter's wife of nearly 70 years, Mildred, who died in October, became the first black woman in Alabama to hold a private pilot's license, but was barred by the military from flying.

"My wife would turn flip flops,” he said. “She thought that all human beings were equal, regardless of sex, race, creed or color. She would take great offense to young women being denied this (opportunity)."

One 11-year-old female student, Anna Rois, said she really wanted to see Red Tails because she had already seen “Akeelah and the Bee” and said she had plans to go see it on her own.

The all-boys field trip cost the Dallas school district about $57,000 to cover the cost of buses and movie tickets for the 5,000 students.

"We are learning African-American history, and it would be a great movie to see," said Rois.