An important but little-known story, especially outside the United States of America: the Netflix film “The Six Triple Eight” tells the true story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only battalion made up predominantly of African-American women of the Women’s Army Corps, operating during World War II. The screenplay is based on an article published in 2019 in the WWII History Magazine, which contributed to passing on the story which has now become a film directed by Tyler Perry.
Plot of “The Six Triple Eight”
The film tells the story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only battalion composed predominantly of African-American women of the Women’s Army Corps, sent to Europe during World War II. The narrative is based on an article published in 2019 in the WWII History Magazine, which contributed to bringing out the details of this historical event. The 6888th had previously faced many treacherous assignments when, in February 1945, it deployed to Europe, narrowly escaping an attack by a German submarine en route. Once he arrives, he finds himself faced with a complex mission: to dispose of an immense accumulation of undelivered mail destined for American soldiers, essential for keeping the morale of the troops at the front high. While many African-American units are led by white officers, the 6888th is staffed entirely by women of color, including leadership positions. At the helm we find Major Charity Adams, the first black woman to command a battalion overseas during the war. Arriving in England and later France, the women of the 6888th were faced with a backlog of 17 million letters to sort, with the expectation of completing the job in six months, creating a relentless shift system and working in harsh conditions . Despite everything, they completed the entire operation in just three months and, in addition, independently created a canteen and a beauty salon.
The cast
Directed and written by Tyler Perry starting from an article published in 2019 in the WWII History Magazine, “The Six Triple Eight” has a very rich cast composed as follows (actors and their respective roles):
- Kerry Washington (Major Charity Adams)
- Ebony Obsidian (Lena Derriecott King)
- Oprah Winfrey (Mary McLeod Bethune)
- Susan Sarandon (Eleanor Roosevelt)
- Dean Norris (General Halt)
- Sam Waterston (Franklin Roosevelt)
- Milauna Jackson (Captain Campbell)
- Shanice Shantay (Johnnie Mae)
- Kylie Jefferson (Bernice Baker)
- Sarah Jeffery (Dolores Washington)
- Pepi Sonuga (Elaine White)
- Jeanté Godlock (Vera)
- Jay Reeves (Private Hugh Bell)
- Gregg Sulkin (Abram David)
- Moriah Brown (Inez)
- Donna Biscoe (Emma Derriecott)
- Baadja-Lyne Odums (Susie)
When the movie comes out Netflix
After debuting on December 6 in a select few theaters across the United States, “The Six Triple Eight” arrives on Netflix, worldwide, on December 20, 2024.
The trailer
