SPOKANE, Wash. — Standing Up Against Hate - That's the title of Mary Cronk Farrell's book.
She's a Spokane native and a published author that can be found in local shops like Auntie’s bookstore.
Her most recent biography explores hidden figures from American history.
“There were a total of around 6,500 black women who served in the army during World War II,” explained Cronk Farrell.
At a time where Jim Crow and segregation were plaguing American culture, The 688th Central Postal Directory Battalion was breaking barriers in the United States Army.
Although technology has advanced since the 1940s, during the war, soldiers relied on letters through the mail.
Without it, their morale began to decrease.
“These letters were the only way that families communicated with their loved ones.”
In 1945, a group of black women serving overseas began to unload six months' worth of mail that was backed up.
Soldiers were moving around so much and so fast the army couldn’t keep up with all the deliveries.
There was no way to sort through it all until these women took over.
“I saw a quote from one of the soldiers who said if we didn’t get a letter from home, we didn’t have what it took to go into battles,” Cronk Farrell said.
Six triple eight came in and created a new system to file and track mail. They got rid of the backlog within 3 months.
Nearly eight decades after they served, the woman from this battalion will finally be honored for their work with a congressional gold medal.
“These women are mostly gone, but they deserve honor and recognition.”
Cronk Farrell has spent the last 10 years researching the Battalion. Her book Standing Up Against Hate explores what these courageous women went through and the poor treatment they experienced back in the states.
The act to honor them passed through the senate in December, but there’s no current date for the ceremony.
“I hope that when it does happen, it’s not a small affair that slips through the cracks,” Cronk Farrell expressed.