African American Military Women Deliver High Morale

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By: Gabrielle Woodburn

February marked the beginning of Black History month. We celebrate this month to showcase all of the pivotal people and groups who have been essential in Black history.

One of which is Six Triple Eight, a new Tyler Perry production, that spotlights the work of the largest group of Black women in the military during World War II. This troop is largely recognized for their success in sorting enormous amounts of mail in a time of concerningly low morale. They were able to return 17 million letters to their intended recipients, allowing both the recipients and senders to feel hopeful in desperate times.

The 6888th Central Directory Postal Battalion was organized in 1944 under the rule of Major Charity Adams. Adams trained the Georgia stationed unit for a variety of events and had them on a strict regimen. They practiced gas mask routines, underwent rigorous obstacle courses, and trained in plane recognition. However, even with all of their qualifications, the army still refused to issue them orders.

After roughly four years, the army eventually relented and assigned the group to be stationed in Birmingham, England. The battalion experienced a rough trip overseas on the Île de France on which they avoided attacks from German naval submarines. Once they arrived, they found that their provided quarters were frigid and there were six overfilled hangars awaiting them.

**THE BURDEN TO BE BETTER**: Major Charity Adams was inspecting the new recruits of the 6888th battalion. She informed the Black women that they did not have the luxury of being as good as white soldiers, they had the burden to be better. *Photo courtesy of Netflix*

Nevertheless, the Six Triple Eight did not let this deter them. They strategically organized themselves into a working schedule in which each woman would take on 8-hour shifts every day. During these shifts, they sifted through piles of packages and sorted through over seven million information cards to direct unmarked mail. Their motto, “no mail, low morale”, kept them motivated in tough times and helped them to return all 17 million pieces of mail in three months, half the time that was previously predicted.

Perry brought this event to screen by following the life of Lena Derriecott Bell King, a former soldier in the battalion. He worked closely with Derriecott to tell her story through the actor, Ebony Obsidian, about what she endured during those times. The movie depicts what occurred in the battalion’s day-to-day life and gave an honest recollection of the discrimination they faced.

He also demonstrated how miraculous their achievements truly were, even though not many knew about it. The women were able to transform an old King Edward School into a fully functioning home for the whole battalion while distributing an average of 200,000 pieces of mail per day, a feat that many would not be able to accomplish. In the face of racism and discrimination, they were able to persevere and repeatedly surpass all expectations.

In one specific scene, Kerry Washington, acting as Major Adams, is seen stopping a white male general from inspecting the private quarters where off duty soldiers were sleeping. The general then insinuated that Major Adams was unable to perform her job correctly, since not all of her troop was gathered to greet him. When explaining herself, the general had an outburst and threatened to send a white officer to model her job to her, and she never broke protocol when replying “Over my dead body, sir.”

This movie worked to show the outstanding influence the Black Six Triple Eight group had on the history of World War II. Not much was known about this event prior to this movie, and releasing it, especially on a large platform like Netflix, has allowed a whole new demographic to view this group’s wonderful achievements. They completely changed the emotional tide of the war and allowed the soldiers and their families to have hope that one day it would be over. Soldiers felt supported and loved when receiving the packages and letters from their loved ones, while their loved ones felt relieved to hear that their soldiers were alive.

Sharing events like this is crucial to the preservation of history. Oftentimes, contributions to history by minorities are overlooked and ignored, so creating media that helps to bring awareness is very important. It is crucial to learn from past events and mistakes to prevent future shortcomings.

African American Studies teacher, Thewander Houston best summarizes by saying, “The movie reminds us to learn from events like this so that we will not repeat it. Do not forget that there were highly educated and skilled African American women in the unit. They were put in this situation to do a job, and they made it happen, boosting the morale for the United States Army to win the war. Do not forget.”