By Lisa Dagnatchew
The Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter (BCAC) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (DST) will present a premiere viewing of “The Six Triple Eight,” a powerful film about the brave women of the first and only Women’s Army Corp Unit of Color stationed overseas in World War II. The Delta Red Carpet event takes place on Dec. 6 with showings at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Next Act Cinema, 921 Reisterstown Road in Pikesville, Md.
(Left) The Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter (BCAC) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (DST) will present a screening of “The Six Triple Eight,” at Next Act Cinema, 921 Reisterstown Road in Pikesville, Md. (Right) The 6888th Central Postal Battalion, nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” was the only African-American battalion in the Women’s Army Corp (WAC). “The Six Triple Eight” movie written and directed by Tyler Perry is based on their heroic actions.
(Courtesy Photo)
The Arts and Letters Committee of BCAC in partnership with DST’s Lambda Kappa Chapter (UMBC) and the Baltimore County Delta Foundation (BCDF) are sponsoring the screening. Written and directed by Tyler Perry, “The Six Triple Eight” features a star-studded cast which includes Kerry Washington, Oprah Winfrey, Ebony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, and Kylie Jefferson.The Delta Red Carpet viewing presents an opportunity to see the film prior to its release on Netflix on Dec. 20.
Established in 2010, BCDF’s mission is to provide women in Baltimore County with access to the resources to become self-sufficient. The Foundation’s vision is to empower women to be economically and socially empowered to serve their family, community and society. Since 2014, the Foundation has held an Annual Stand Down Event acknowledging and celebrating female veterans who have served or are still serving in the military. In 2018, the women of the Six Triple Eight were included in this recognition. Governor Wes Moore proclaimed March 9th Six Triple Eight Day in Maryland in recognition of the service of these women who served during World War II.
Partnering with the Baltimore County Public Library, Owings Mills branch, BCDF held the first March 9, 2024 6888th Day in Maryland during its Women’s History Month program honoring these women– especially the 20 women from Maryland. The Foundation was also instrumental in making sure that Baltimore County would be considered as a pre-release site before the Netflix Dec. 20th airing of the Six Triple Eight movie. “The collaboration with Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter, DST, Inc. is significant since the 6888th battalion leader Commander Charity Adams was a member of DST, Inc.”, said Heather Ross, President of BCDF.
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion successfully sorted through a three-year backlog of undelivered mail in three months.
(Courtesy Photo)
“BCAC is proud to present this outstanding film which illustrates the outstanding accomplishments of these amazing women,” said Lisa Dagnatchew, President of the Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. “We stand on the shoulders of these female pioneers who accomplished incredible feats despite the injustices they faced. We are encouraging everyone, particularly those interested in learning more about the history of Black women in the military to come out to this event.”
Driven by their motto, “No mail, Low morale” the 6888th Central Postal Battalion, nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” had a daunting assignment – sorting through a backlog of undelivered mail amidst deplorable conditions, unfamiliar territory, and discrimination to deliver the mail to American soldiers. Against all odds, they successfully completed their assignment, fulfilling their promise of getting a whopping 17 million pieces of mail to U.S. soldiers
Delta Red Carpet Events supports the National Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.’s effort to create blockbuster opening weekend sales for selected films, art exhibits, dance, musical and spoken word performances and emerging artists.
Tickets are $15 for general admission. Purchase tickets by visiting https://tinyurl.com/bcacdeltas6888. For more information contact artsletters@bcacdeltas.org.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was founded in 1913 on the campus of Howard University to promote academic excellence; to provide scholarships; to provide support to the underserved; educate and stimulate participation in the establishment of positive public policy; and to highlight issues and provide solutions for problems in their communities. Today Delta Sigma Theta Sorority has over 300,000 initiated members and more than 1000 chapters worldwide, including seven in Wisconsin. The Sorority uses its Five-Point Programmatic Thrust of economic development, educational development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health, and political awareness and involvement to create its national and local programs.
