I have been waiting to post about one of my new favorite books - Women of the Post by Joshunda Sanders1. I started following her after hearing her speak at a Hedgebrook event online. This book is brilliant. I have so many page corners turned down. I don’t even know which quotes to share, but I’ll share a few.
“This was just what is meant to live in the South: even if nothing happened when the Klan appeared, the threat was enough to linger, to warn Negroes against getting too comfortable with being free - or thinking themselves citizens, worthy of free movement.” (Sanders p.66)
The book is about the women of the Six Triple Eight2 (as they were known) and the experience of Black women serving in World War II. Sanders does an amazing job of recreating their world and bringing us in. She conveys what it was like for these women and the racism they faced as well their own personal and collective challenges.
“But you will be expected to learn it all faster than your white colleagues. You cannot compare your journeys to theirs. They will have more time to learn the material and different opportunities that are not yet available to us, like being deployed to overseas posts, which is still rare for Negroes, especially Negro women who are not nurses.” (Sanders p.86-7)
To prep for this post, it was a no brain-er that I would look for archival information on the Six Triple Eight. Perhaps I could find photos or other documents. The National Archives seemed like the best place to start since their work was for the Federal government. The most obvious first search was “6888” and first up came an article titled “No Mail, Low Morale: The 6888th Central Postal Battalion.” This is an excellent example of archival context. The post includes a general history, photos of the women working and training, related links and sources. A single photo or document doesn’t really tell the story, archives need context.
The related links lead me to a post titled “African American Women in the Military during WWII” which provided additional information but more importantly really awesome films of the women in the 6888th doing their work. I love that these women’s images and work was captured in film in the 1940s. I also love that they have been digitized and are available online. There is something extraordinary about not only having access to these unique archival records but that they were documented in the first place. As I have mentioned before, someone long ago had to capture the moment in film or write it down and then save it for decades, before it was made available online. It is amazing we have what we have.
I am grateful to Joshunda Sanders for writing this book and elevating this bit of history that so many of us didn’t know before now.
“…my legacy and work in the world has to do with recovering American stories of beauty, resilience and grit as reflected especially in the lives of Black women that have for too long gone undiscovered and untold.” - Joshunda Sanders, Author’s Note
Learn more about the The Six Triple Eight:
Search for 6888 in the National Archives Catalog (different from searching the National Archives website)
6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion - (Women's Army Corps)
The Six Triple Eight (film trailer)
Joshunda also has a Substack - Black Books Stacks.
“The 6888th Central Postal Battalion, also nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” were not only the sole all African American battalion in the WAC, but they also were the only all African American, all women battalion sent overseas during World War II. Major Charity Edna Adams commanded the battalion and over 800 volunteers joined the 6888th Central Postal Battalion throughout the war. The unit was self-sufficient and included medics, administrative personnel, dining hall workers, and more.” -No Mail, Low Morale the 6888th Central Postal Battalion
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Thank you so much, Mary, for this kind assessment of the Women of the Post, and elevating the important archival information that elevates their significant contributions to World War II further.