The True Story of the First All-Black Female WWII Army Unit

Join us for a captivating conversation about the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black women’s battalion in World War II. The group’s incredible adventures will soon be the focus of a Netflix movie, written and directed by Tyler Perry and starring Kerry Washington and Oprah Winfrey.

We’ll hear the group’s true story from Colonel Edna Cummings, the world’s leading expert on the Six Triple Eight. We’ll also hear from the battalion’s surviving members in footage recorded especially for this event. Romay Davis, 103, will describe the dangers her group dodged on their journey overseas. Major Fannie McClendon, 102, will tell us how the battalion defied all expectations, working round the clock in rat-infested warehouses to clear a massive backlog of mail.

This inspiring evening will be moderated by Smithsonian senior editor Jennie Rothenberg Gritz and will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

A recording of this program will be available to ticketholders for seven days after the event.