December 16. 2016 Hello , In the midst of promoting Fannie Never Flinched and wrapping
Christmas presents, I am trying to finish revisions on my next book and get it to my editor by Friday.Monday. Plus, I'm baking Christmas goodies!
Times like this I curse my propensity to write about some of the darker moments of history. After being deeply absorbed in
issues of racial injustice, it's difficult to turn it off and try to be pleasant company for family and friends. But I recognize my white privilege in researching racial injustice, not living it.
A Closer Look at Military "Opportunity"
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I'm making final edits of my manuscript on African Americans in the World War II Women's Army Corps, but I keep finding new anecdotes. I need to be cutting words, and yet these women's stories need to be told.
Above: The 6888th Postal Battalion under the command of Major Charity Adams.
In a letter to the Houston Informer, May 26, 1944, WAC Constance E. Nelson, condemns the unfair treatment of "Colored" WACs by white civilians at Camp Forrest, Tennessee.
"Here if a civilian yells and curses at a WAC and tells her to do
something, regardless of what it is, she either executes his orders or is subject to court martial.
"Recently a white civilian went to the extreme to strike (slap) a colored WAC and endeavored to pour hot grease on her in one of the messes. And what do your suppose this Tennessee white man got as a punishment? A two day layoff with
pay."
While Constance Nelson wrote, "I feel that we have made a great sacrifice to join the fight for democracy. We are true Americans." The governor of Mississippi sent this telegram
to the Secretary of War urging a hard line on segregation.
And a Texas congressman forwarded a letter to the war department from a constituent complaining a white WAC had been assigned to help train colored WACs, "or as we refer to them
"ni&%#$s". This fine girl is now forced to share the same living quarters, bath room facilities, rest rooms and reception rooms with ni&%#$s."
Black WAC Elaine Bennett joined the army with the idea, “We would give what we had to the United States as confirmation that we
were full-fledged citizens." But after the war black women returned to a segregated society. And for the next two decades, any effort to weaken or abolish Jim Crow was met by organized and violent obstruction.
I started this book project thinking it would be a story about how African American women in WWII broke barriers and
helped create opportunity for their sisters who followed, but the truth is more complicated than that.
Today, the integrated U.S. military offers opportunity to black women, though many enlist out of a desperate need for a steady job with good health care, childcare, and education.
Black women compose one third of all the women in the U.S. armed forces, over-representing their proportion of the population by nearly two hundred percent. Black military women also die in disproportionately higher numbers than white
military women.
In 2010, nearly one-third of the black female troops in the Iraqi/Afghanistan conflicts were injured or killed. These statistics remain unaddressed by the War Department and the U.S. government.
Army Staff Sgt. Carletta Davis, (photo at right)
died November 5, 2007 in Tal Al-Dahab, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near her Humvee during combat operations. She left three young sons.
Increasing numbers of black women went into combat, even as their own communities did not support America's wars. Eighty-five percent of African Americans opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 25-percent higher than white opposition.
African American History Scholar Kimberly Phillips writes,"Black citizenship in the 21st century remains remarkable fragile, these young [black] women consider themselves foot soldiers in unwarranted wars, still they do a “soldiers’ duty” with pride and wear their uniforms with dignity.”
At the end of the day, I'm grateful for the
privilege of being a writer. It's an honor to tell the stories of courageous women like Carletta Davis, Elaine Bennett and Constance Nelson.
Great news this week!
And a huge thanks to This Kid Reviews Books for featuring Fannie Never Flinched this
week. Erik has been reviewing books on his blog since he was 9-years-old! He's 14 now and here's what he had to say about my book:
"The book is written in a kid-friendly way that explains the horrible conditions the workers faced during this period in history. It is such an excellent read – making it easy to digest and understand." Here are two of my favorite holiday sweets, Nanimo bars and Buckeyes. Both are quick and simple to make. If you'd like the recipes let me know.
Please send me pic's and recipes for your favorite treats and I'll feature them in next week's newsletter. Until next week... Have you read a great book? Tell me about it. Have a burning question? Let me know.
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