Let’s take a moment to honor the women of color who have served and who continue to serve in our Armed Services. We continually persevere despite the barriers of color and gender to be all that we can be (and not just in the Army). However, it never crossed my mind about black women serving in the Armed Services until I came about the historical fiction book Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson as an adult. This book is based on the 6888th Postal Battalion (https://www.kaiawrites.com/sisters-in-arms).
First of all, I never heard in school during February (Black History Month) or March (Women’s History month) about women of color who wore the military uniform during WWII. After doing independent research, I came across a blog under the National Archives entitled “The Unwritten Record” and I had my own history lesson. (https://unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/2020/03/12/african-american-women-in-the-military-during-wwii).
Original Caption: Somewhere in England, Maj. Charity E. Adams, Columbia, S.C., and Capt. Abbie N. Campbell, Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee, Ala., inspect the first contingent of negro members of the Women's Army Corps assigned to overseas service. (National Archives https://www.nps.gov/mamc/the-6888th-central-postal-directory-battalion.htm)
Secondly, because we live in the Informational Age, we can access information faster than any textbook can publish the information. I am thankful for books such as Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson that would cause me to do independent research. However, it would have been nice to read something similar to this when I was in high school.
There is a printed and a digital copy of the article “Breaking Barriers and Lifting Spirits” by Elizabeth DePompei published in DAV (Disabled Veterans) Magazine January/February 2024 issue. This article recognizes the contributions of the “Six Triple Eight” postal battalion and highlights Anna Mae Robertson who “served overseas during World War II as part of an all-female, predominantly Black unit” (pg. 17). You can read the article in its entirety at Breaking barriers and lifting spirits. It is nice to read about how women of color are recognized for their service and to read materials that appreciate the contributions made by these women.
Lastly, I appreciate authors who write books that places a desire within the reader to dig a little deeper and research topics on his/her own; especially historical events. A good book should not stop when there are no more chapters to read; it stops when the reader has looked beyond the written words to find the true story of what really happened or the facts the book was based upon.
Time to Dig Deeper!
Check out the National Archives!
A very special thank you to women of color who has served and helped to protect our country.