Standing Up Against Hate: How Black Women in the Army Helped Change the Course of WWII

by Mary Cronk Farrell

Standing Up Against Hate tells the stories of the African American women who enlisted in the newly formed Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in World War II. They quickly discovered that they faced as many obstacles in the armed forces as they did in everyday life. However, they refused to back down. They interrupted careers and left family, friends, and loved ones to venture into unknown and sometimes dangerous territory. They survived racial prejudice and discrimination with dignity, succeeded in jobs women had never worked before, and made crucial contributions to the military war effort. The book centers around Charity Adams, who commanded the only black WAAC battalion sent overseas and became the highest ranking African American woman in the military by the end of the war. Along with Adams’s story are those of other black women who played a crucial role in integrating the armed forces. Their tales are both inspiring and heart-wrenching. The book includes a timeline, bibliography, and index.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, War, Historical, Middle Grade, African American

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Mary Cronk Farrell's acclaimed books have received honors including Booklist Editor’s Choice, Washington State Book Award Finalist, Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, Banks Street College Best Books, NY Public Library Best Books for Teens, Amelia Bloomer Project List and earned numerous starred reviews.

A former TV journalist, Mary writes compelling history books about courageous unknown women who faced extraordinary danger to help shape American history. Her engaging and powerful writing appeals to adults, as well as teens.

Mary has appeared on TV and radio across the nation and her multi-media presentations and workshops are popular with women’s and civic groups, and at conferences, museums, schools and libraries.

Profile photo/Jenny Lange

Reviews

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content Warning: Racism, Sexism, Discrimination, Assault

A history of the Black women serving in the Women's Army Corps in World War II, and how they faced and stood up to discrimination and hatred.

This is a necessary read for any person interested in World War II, particularly teens (the audience it's geared towards), as it shows how Black women faced the double discrimination of racism and sexism, and literally had to work four times as hard to be considered a fraction as good—often working in menial jobs that their white WAC counterparts never had to do.

They were beaten for being "uppity," subjected to segregation and Jim Crows laws that "didn't exist in the Army" (*cough* bullshit), and faced discrimination and unfair work assignments from the base commanding officers who didn't value their contributions or realize their worth as either soldiers or human beings. While some didn't face the worst, all faced systematic discrimination due to the Army's standing orders for Black soldiers (generally enforced more enthusiastically among southern-born commanders). And if they protested, they were often punished with threats of courts martial (or actually court martialed).

Nevertheless, they persisted.

Their bravery and determination paved the way for women to serve in the military, even though they received little recognition for their actions (outside of Black newspapers and magazines) until well after their service had ended.

Would have been five stars, except I felt that the writing could have been better. It is very juvenile (moreso than I felt it needed to be), and the storyline was all over the place, particularly in the beginning, with rough or no transitions between scenarios or quotes. However, despite the juvenility of the writing, the subject matter is not glossed over (nor should it be—these women went through hell).

My library has this shelved in the adult history section for some reason (gonna recommend a correction), but this is very much geared towards children.

Appropriate for readers as young as fifth grade. Just note those content warnings, because the author doesn't shy away from them (nor should she).

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

These Black women believed so strongly in supporting our country's efforts to win World War II, they endured seemingly-endless demoralizing treatment by racists and racist policy in the U.S. military in order to serve. The beauty of HOW they endured is the way they responded to this treatment, frequently upending it, turning it around, revealing it for what it was or doing the best with the ultimate cause in mind while at the same time, moving forward with their own training, preparation, and work. Readers meet and get to know several key players including Major Charity Adams who trained battalions of Black Women Army Women Corps and prepared the way for them to arrive in Europe (after years of not being sent because of their race) and led them as they accomplished major feats in the European theater. Seriously, these women, figured out how to get millions of pieces of undelivered/undeliverable/sometimes-moldy-or-rotten mail to men stationed in Europe because they knew the morale of soldiers would help win the war.

Just like she did in the book Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific, the author Mary Cronk Farrell has written an engaging, accessible text that students will not want to put down. Through story after story, Farrell reveals in detail the racist policies and attitudes of others towards these women. She also describes how the environment was drastically different in England and France. As a reader, I felt relieved that these women were able to experience a different kind of world. Sadly, most of the racism they faced in Europe was by American institutions (the Red Cross, the military) and U.S. personnel.

BOOK TALK THIS and leave to be grabbed up from your classroom library OR ADOPT FOR LITERATURE CIRCLES - there's so much to discuss and so many open-ended questions to contemplate like -
*What would you be willing to endure to save the world from tyrants like Hitler? How is this still relevant today?
*How did these women really make a difference in the movement towards civil rights for all? How can their stories be valuable in thinking about how we live and be in the racist world that still exists today?
*How did perseverance play a role in their success?

[Alex Baugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just reread Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis, a novel about one woman who had enlisted in the Women's Army Corps during WWII and was part of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. I've always thought that the author had really captured the difficulties of being an African American woman in the armed services at that time. And now, Mary Cronk Farrell has written a book that explores these difficulties in depth and introduces readers to some of the courageous African American women who served their country with determination, dignity and patriotism.

Farrell begins with the creation of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps in May 1942. Though women in the WAAC were not considered to be military personnel and so they had no rank, no entitlements for dependents, and received less pay than men in the military, women signed up anyway, wanting to do their patriotic duty for their country. Thanks to the efforts of Eleanor Roosevelt and Civil Rights leader Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, black women were also allowed to join and train for positions of rank, and a number of women were recruited from different colleges around the country for officer training.

After training, African American women like Lieutenant Charity Adams were assigned a command of enlisted women of color ready to begin basic training. These were women who wanted to serve their country, but they also "saw the army as an opportunity to better their life, find adventure, or see the world." (pg. 49)

What officers and enlisted black women hadn't really counted on was the army's policy of segregation. While discrimination wasn't tolerated, the army continued the practice of separating black and white soldiers under the idea of separate but equal. But, as Farrell shows, it was definitely separate, but it wasn't equal. For example, after basic training, black WAACs sent to southern bases were ordered to do menial tasks, such are cleaning toilets, scrubbing floors, and stacking beds. If they objected, they were given even more grunt work to do, such as washing the walls in the laundry, and doing the laundry - all jobs that had not been approved for WAACs to do. Sometimes, there was even talk of a court-martial for such insubordination. What is interesting is that Farrell looks at the responses of the African American women when they were faced with Jim Crow laws, prejudice, segregation, and ordered to do menial tasks, interviewing several of the women who served and were still living while she was writing this book.

A good potion of the book is devoted the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (aka the Six Triple Eight), the only female African American battalion to serve overseas and under the leadership of Major Charity Adams. In February 1945, more than 800 members in the 6888th were sent to Birmingham, England to sort through "six airplane hangars, piled to the ceiling with bags of mail," letters and packages that had been piling up for months (pg. 4) These WACs* knew it was important work, soldiers needed their mail from home and the women worked under the slogan "no mail, low morale." After their mission in England was finished, the 6888th moved on to Paris, France.

Standing Up Against Hate is a book about service and honor that will draw in young readers and keep them. It is informative and reader accessible, with personal accounts that bring the history of African American women serving in the army vividly to life. Complimenting and supporting these accounts are copious archival photographs, many of which include the women interviewed.

If you've ever read a book by Mary Cronk Farrell, you know that she is a careful researcher, and talented craftswoman at telling a true story. Though much in this book is a positive look at the women and their accomplishments, it is also concerned with institutionalized racism and discrimination that faced both black men and women in the armed services during WWII. Nor, does Farrell does not shy away from describing some of the degrading treatment personally directed by individual women - not just by southern white male officers, but by fellow white WACS, and civilians, male and female, while riding buses and trains, called names and at times, badly beaten. Yet, they continued to serve with dignity.

Did the WAC provide the hoped for opportunity to better their life, find adventure, or see the world? You be the judge!

Farrell supplements her text with an abundance of photos and newspaper articles, many of which I had seen before. Back matter includes an Author's Note, a Glossary, a Time Line, Notes, and a Select Bibliography. There is a teaching guide available, but only through Scribd, which you must sign up for and can use for free for 30 days. It's the only drawback to this otherwise outstanding book.

Standing Up Against Hate is a book I couldn't put down and I can't recommend it highly enough for both middle and high school age readers. There is just so much to learn from it. Enhance your readers experience by pairing this with Mare's War.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an ARC sent to me by the published, Abrams BFYR

*The Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) became the Women's Army Corps (WAC) on July 1, 1943 when it was changed to active duty status.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to add this to my classroom library!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: It was a wet, gunmetal-gray February in 1945. Rank upon rank of American khaki-clad soldiers marched down the gangplank of the Ile de France in Glasgow, Scotland.

Premise/plot: Standing Up Against Hate is a children's nonfiction book about African American women serving in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and Women's Army Corps. (The name switched from WAAC to WAC towards the end of the war. But it was much more than a name change.) It is the story of one woman--Charity Adams--it is the story of many women. It gives young readers (elementary, middle school) a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it was like to be an African American WOMAN serving during the second world war. They faced prejudice because they were women; they faced prejudice because they were African American. How you were treated, what your experience was like, varied greatly based on WHERE you served and WHOM you served. (Some people could be JERKS.) Towards the end of the war, one unit (led by Charity Adams) did get to serve overseas. But as I mentioned before, this isn't just the story of one battalion. The book touches on many different experiences, many different voices.

My thoughts: I found this to be a super-compelling, super-fascinating read. I have read many books set during this time period. I've never--to my recollection--read one about the WAC, let alone one that focuses on the African American experience. It was an eye-opener. It was good--really good. My background--in terms of women in the military during this time period--focuses on the WASP which I know excluded black women. I would definitely recommend this one.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the subtitle probably overstates things a bit, this account of how black women joined the face of the military by joining the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps during WWII. The book follows the careers and experiences of various black women, including Charity Adams who became the military's highest ranking woman and who commanded a battalion sent overseas to manage the mail being sent to troops in Europe and surrounding areas. Along the way, many of the women faced racist attitudes and mistreatment by those around them, even some military officials, and had to contend with discrimination. The stories are inspiring as it is clear that some of these women paid a heavy price for leading the way for those who would follow them. It's shocking to learn that even well-educated women were relegated to mopping floors, cooking, and doing the laundry rather than being assigned to tasks that would better suit their abilities. The author relies on personal accounts to bring this story to life, and she has clearly down her homework with thorough research and the inclusion of several archival photographs. The title is the perfect one for this account since these women needed to stand up against hate at home, something they didn't necessarily experience in their service abroad. Readers will be hard pressed not to wonder just how hard it must have been for them to return home to areas that still practiced segregation after having had a taste of freedom and empowerment. This is a quick and engaging read, telling a story that needs to be told.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Standing Up Against Hate describes an overlooked part of WWII history that I knew nothing about- how African American women became a part of the US Army and the war effort.

Farrell’s gift as a writer is that the lives of many of these women became real to me- their stories, their photos, their tribulations and their ultimate success.

I love to be inspired by history and the events that shape our past- I think that’s why I ultimately found this book such a pleasure to read.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great starter book to read more about these Brave women who served their country despite many obstacles. It's amazing and wonderful that the book was able to include so many photos.

[Wylaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea any of this happened.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars. In the 1940’s an adventurous group of African American women joined the newly formed WAC and helped both to integrate the American army as well as win the second World War. (No mail- no moral)
This small, novel-sized nonfiction gets high marks for the importance and unknown nature of its topic, the clear and engaging writing, the many fabulous photographs, none of which I had ever seen, the excellence of its research and back matter (author’s note, timeline, glossary, source notes, bibliography, image credits, acknowledgement, index) and its appealing book design. It doesn’t look daunting! Not only is this perfect for middleschool and highschool research, it is an essential companion to the fictionalized treatment of the same topic in Mare’s War by Davis, a necessary addition to all World War 2 and military history collections AND a book I can envision certain students actually reading for pleasure!

From the 1945 Birmingham Sunday Mercury -
“These WACs are very different from the colored women portrayed on the films, where they are usually either domestics or the outspoken old-retainer type or sloe-eyed sirens given to gaudiness of costume and eccentricity in dress. The WACs have dignity and proper reserve.”

Author’s note -
In Operation Dessert Storm some 40% of the 35,000 active duty women troops were African-American. In...more recent conflicts black female soldiers comprise nearly one-third of all women in the U.S. Armed Forces.

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Racism is stupid.

[Kris Dinnison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written book about the special challenges faces by African American women who served their country in the military during WWII. I had no idea how much segregation and discrimination these women encountered, nor did I understand how our systemic racism caused us to waste the talents of hundreds and hundreds of women whose talents could have helped us during the war and beyond. Everyone should read this book!

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos to the author and publisher for this informative and important book. It deserves a place in all school libraries and would be an excellent read for Black History Month (or any month). Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

This non-fiction work tells the story of African American women's entry into the Women's Army Corps of WWII and their experiences while in the service, as they trained and were assigned to their duties. Issues of prejudice were quite present and the women's responses, protests and efforts are noted.

Two things made this book exceptional: One was the photos that illustrated the text; the other was that women were named and quoted. These makes the book feel intimate and real.

I had an aunt who served in WWII. I wish that I had spoken to her more about her war experiences. I hope that she knew about and respected all of the African American Corps members.

This book is highly recommended...and not just for children!

[LeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars If more history was as well-written and interesting as this, I can't help but think that more young people might actually like learning about it. And adults, too, if I'm any example. I mean, let's face it, too much history is written by scholars who get bogged down in dates and the kind of dry details that leave most of us dozing off. Not so, Farrell. STANDING UP AGAINST HATE tells us a very human story. And it tells it in a very engaging and relatable fashion. For this is a story of bravery, of determination, of dignity. A story of a group of African American women whose vital service during WWII has too long been left out of the history books. I was humbled and inspired by their story. Highly recommended.

Note: I received an ARC of this book from the author. Fortunately for this reviewer, her writing stands on its own merits, independent of our friendship.

[Lynette Larter]

This is a wonderful book. As always, Mary Cronk Farrell draws the reader into the story. Events have a bigger impact when a person knows or has met the people involved. In this book, Mary introduced brave black women who made a difference in the war against Germany, Italy, and Japan and at the same time proved that all women were capable of being competent professionals. By staying strong and acting with dignity, these persistent black women helped to desegregrate the military, in spite of adversity, prejudice, and even violence.
This book is a great read and I certainly recommend it.

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The biggest barrier to my success was often personal-the need to remind myself that just because I did not see anyone who looked like me in a job-that did not mean that I could not do it. This is why we must be vigilant and educate ourselves about our history."

"She was too young to understand this blatant racism, this expression of hate, these people who shunned, suppressed and killed others simply because of the color of their skin. But racism would be like a storm in the weather of her life, sometimes close, dark, menacing; sometimes off on the horizon, but always in the forecast."

"Segregation implied inferiority, causing the women resentment and an inescapable feeling of shame."

"But even specialized training did not guarantee a black woman would get an assignment. The army's segregation policy made it difficult because some forts didn't have room to segregate blacks and whites. Worse yet, some post commanders refused outright to take African American WAACs. And even if a black woman had the chance to complete training and get assigned to a post, her actual duties were decided by white male officers."

"There was often little WAS administrators could do to combat racist attitudes."

"They enlisted to see what they could do for their country. Then they found they were segregated because of an accident of birth. Where you find segregation, it is necessary to fight. Nobody can pat themselves on the back because they happened to be born white or yellow [sic], because it might have been otherwise."

"If I had succumbed to that treatment that they had given other blacks before, or not spoken up for myself, my morale would have been down, and I would have been doing work that I did not like," she said. "You can't go around suffling your feet with your head hung down acting apologetic. If you see something you want, you must go after it. One day somebody will recognize it, and it's a victory for you, expecially when it's somebody who has denigrated you because of your race."

"They African American WACs represented not individuals, not simply their military unit, nor their country. They represented every black person in America, and they were determined to prove themselves."

[JoLee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featured in "World War II Nonfiction for Young Readers: D-Day Edition" on Intellectual Recreation.

The military was segregated during World War II, and this segregation extended to the newly formed women's units. This book tells the story of the African American women who enlisted in the Women's Army Corps (WAC). These black women faced discrimination from their commanders and from civilians. However, these segregated units also gave black women a large amount of autonomy and leadership opportunities. Charity Adams commanded the only black WAC battalion to serve overseas. Tasked to sort an enormous amount of mail, these women served with distinction and honor. Their time in England and France, countries which were far less prejudice than the United States, gave these women a glimpse of what America could become.

This book is very engaging and well written, and I really enjoyed learning about these remarkable women and their legacy. This book and Steve Sheinkin's The Port Chicago 50 are an excellent pair. I would definitely recommend reading them together.

Published January 8th 2019 by Harry N. Abrams. Review copy from NetGalley.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

My judgment could easily be swayed by talking to other people, but my first reaction was that the book doesn't know how depressing it is. World War II histories have a kind of cheery feel -- look how the people came together to fight off the Nazis! Remember back when people didn't know had bad it was to be racist or sexist, but these Brave Folks quietly and nobly did their best and now the world is better!

Except that what happened here is that Americans lied to a bunch of women about how their service would be useful and helpful, and then spent years insulting them and refusing to let them do good work. And calling them names all the time; when sexist names got dull they'd switch to racist ones, and then flip back. Only about 6000 American women were gullible enough to fall for these lies, and a bit more than a thousand of them got a chance to do some actual work -- the most heartening chapters follow the 6888th Postal as they manage to tame the mountain of lost mail for American soldiers. Here Black women were left alone -- they were the officers and the soldiers and they figured out how to get the job done, only occasionally frustrated by white jerks showing up and trying to screw things up. But mostly the story of Black Women in the Army during WWII is a grim and depressing one, and I felt the text didn't really wrestle with that.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent young adult book, but for adults it is also an excellent read. Concise, descriptive detail to keep young readers interested and have you feel as if you're right there with the remarkable heroes the book is about, and there's not too much detail on things that don't matter so that you're taken off-path. I've read books where the writer tries too hard to emotionally manipulate the reader or they get too far in to describing other elements of the time and place the events occurred. This book doesn't do any of that. The soldiers' own words and experiences are more than enough to capture the heart of the reader. It seems very well researched and I'm glad the book is so honest about the bigotry they experienced (which is unfortunately still recognizable today). This book puts the facts and the women's own accounts forward very honestly and plainly, it's hard to know what they went through but you definitely feel their determination and optimism as well. It's a humbling lesson in perseverance and putting the greater good before yourself. Their determination and bravery is inspirational. I really think children should read this book, and anyone who wants to know the truth about our history.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be applauded for its ambitious scope. A great examination of how African American women who enlisted with the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) withstood the prejudices of home while showing their willingness to do their patriotic duty. Ms. Mary Cronk Farrell has provided a great slice of history and an alternative way to study the trials of African Americans through her text. This book is a great choice for any number of classroom discussions on Jim Crow, disparity, opportunity, military history and World War II. A real gem not just for its clear language, Standing UP Against Hate also displays the trials of women who faced very real discrimination with valour, grace and strength.

[Miah Bartlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. I can see why some readers thought it was a bit choppy or jumped around, but honestly it didn’t bother my reading flow. I felt like it just scratched the surface of this history, but still inspired me and I left educated and appreciative. I borrowed this book from the local library, but am going to quickly add it to my personal collection to have for my kids to read it when they get big enough.

[Deana Metzke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an inspiring account of Black women and their contributions in the Army during WWII. They were responsible for resending and redirecting mail overseas that hadn't been delivered for months to troops. Even though they faced all sorts of discrimination, they held their heads high and did their job.

[Ebony and Ivory · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author did a great job without being biased, super feminist, sexist, being more on the Black side over the White, racist, etc. Great job! This was an interesting read and I thoroughly enjoyed the stories and the way it was presented. Thank you, Mary Cronk Farrell. We need more books like this one.

[Mary Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so inspiring to research and write about these black women soldiers, some of the most adventurous and forward-thinking women in 1940's America. I hope you enjoy reading about them as much as I enjoyed writing this book!

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tells the stories of the African American women who enlisted in the newly formed Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in World War II. They quickly discovered that they faced as many obstacles in the armed forces as they did in everyday life.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a side of WWII that needed to be told. I’m glad I read this book but it felt like I was reading a bunch of different articles instead of a flowing narrative. These women were amazing and I loved their courage and strength.

[Bill Sleeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to a little known aspect of WWII history. Amazing women facing difficult times both at home and abroad. This would be a good addition for any YA collection that has a strong non-fiction component. This copy was an ARC so lacked the Forward.

[LINDSEY M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A WWII story that‘s not often told. I read this to my 9-year -old son, who is currently obsessed with WWII. We discussed the injustices these women endured and how he could follow their example when encountering injustice in his life.

[Gail Johnson, Ph.D · Rating 5 out of 5]

To all military personnel, thank you for your service. My favorite part of this was when I saw the word strike. Never thought I lived to read about military personnel going on strike. WOW! Thanks for sharing your story.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea about African American women serving in WWII, and I wish this book about Charity Adams and the only black WAC battalion serving overseas had been 4x longer