Browse Items (35 total)

Photo of Marcella Hayes, originally printed in Ebony Magazine in 1980.

Marine Warrant Officer Annie L. Grimes became first African American Woman Marine officer to retire after a 20-year career.

Some of the first black nurses to serve in the US Army, standing outside their quarters at Camp Sherman, Chillocothe, OH

Autograph book with Mary McLeod Bethune signature, 1945 (facsimile)
Mamie (Echols) Williams Collection

Magazine article, four pages, reprinted, with permission, from Ebony, October 1968, describing the work of "the only Negro girl at that time working with the Red Cross Recreational Service," Barbara Lynn, 26 of Youngstown, Ohio.

Bridgette (Smith) Arnold served 24 years in the Air Force mostly supporting Special Operations Forces and national-level intelligence agencies as a counter-terrorism subject matter expert. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Arnold was…

During the Civil War, Cathay Williams lived enslaved at a plantation near Jefferson City, Missouri. The Union Army camp occupied the city in 1861, captured Cathay and other enslaved people and forced them as “contraband” to serve in support roles.…

In 1942, Charity (Adams) Earley became the first Black commissioned officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), later the Women’s Army Corps (WAC). In 1944, the WAC selected Earley commanding officer of the 6888th Central Postal Directory…

Major Margaret E. Bailey became the first African American nurse promoted to lieutenant colonel in the Army Nurse Corps.

Capt. Della H. Raney, Army Nurse Corps, who now heads the nursing staff at the station hospital at Camp Beale, CA - NARA. She became the first African American accepted into the Army Nurse Corps.