EDITORIAL. Hope in an Envelope: Little Miss 6888th Carries the Legacy of Forgotten Sheroes to Capitol Hill. By Pastor Kyev Tatum

EDITORIAL. Hope in an Envelope: Little Miss 6888th Carries the Legacy of Forgotten Sheroes to Capitol Hill. By Pastor Kyev Tatum

Pastor, New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church | President, Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas

“Hope in an Envelope is sealed with sacrifice, sent with love, and stamped with excellence.”

History has a way of forgetting those who delivered hope without firing a shot—those who served not on the front lines of combat, but in the trenches of morale. Such was the mission of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black and Latina, all-female unit deployed overseas during World War II. These sheroes processed millions of pieces of backlogged mail under grueling conditions, uplifting soldiers whose only connection to home was an envelope and a prayer.

For far too long, their story was buried beneath the weight of indifference. But no longer.

From April 28 to May 1, 2025, a delegation of Texans—my wife Tonya and I among them—journeyed from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C. to witness a long-overdue moment in history: the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal to the women of the 6888th Battalion. What began as a dream rooted in reverence became a testimony of remembrance.

From fundraising to organizing, it was an uphill climb. But we walked in the footsteps of Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley and her battalion, pressing forward in faith, knowing that our mission—like theirs—was too important to fail.

Arrival Day: A Tribute Begins

Our delegation touched down in Baltimore and was graciously received by Ms. Stephanie Mitchell, with Brother Herb guiding us to the City of Laurel. There, we encountered modern-day trailblazers like Master Sgt. Elizabeth Anne Helm-Frazier and COL Yolanda D. Gore, Fort Meade’s first Black female Garrison Commander. Laurel’s Mayor, Keith R. Sydnor, hosted us with warmth and vision, allowing Little Miss 6888th—our youth ambassadors, Miss Torie Hunter and Miss Kailey Williams—to symbolically take his seat as a gesture of intergenerational legacy. That image now speaks volumes: the past resting proudly in the promise of our future.

A Day of Inspiration: Young Roses Bloom on Capitol Hill

April 29 became a defining moment. Donned in their custom 6888th uniforms, Torie and Kailey captured the heart of Capitol Hill—and the lens of CBS News’ Nikole Killion, who followed them throughout the Gold Medal ceremony. One speaker honored “the little girls dressed like the 6888th.” In that instant, they weren’t just children. They were living testimony, carrying the torch of valor, dignity, and discipline that defined the women they represented.

When Doves Fly in D.C.: A Sacred Send-Off

At the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on April 30, we held a solemn Remembrance Ceremony. We called the names of Pfc. Mary Bankston, Pvt. Mary Barlow, and Sgt. Dolores Browne—the three members of the 6888th who died in service—and released three white doves into the sky.

As over 200 visiting students looked on in reverent silence, we saw firsthand the power of history when it meets the hearts of the young. Hollywood producer Carlota Espinosa, ignitor of the groundbreaking Six Triple Eight film, joined us and inspired the next chapter in our work: a new initiative titled SIN CORREO, BAJA MORAL™ – Lifting the Legacy of Latinas in the 6888th Battalion and WWII.

The Journey Forward: A Legacy That Marches On

This is not the end—it’s the beginning of a movement. Through our 6888th University of Travel, we are equipping young leaders to carry this legacy forward with visits to:

• The Texas State Capitol, to enshrine the 6888th’s story into state history

• San Antonio, to honor Texas-born Women’s Army Corps (WAC) veterans

• Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, home to the 6888th Monument

• Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia, where the U.S. Army Women’s Museum brings their story to life

And with God’s grace and community support, we will journey to Normandy, France, where Little Miss 6888th will release three more doves over the graves of these forgotten warriors in a global When Doves Fly Remembrance.

The 6888th’s mission was mail.

Our mission is to excel.

Let us teach our children that hope can indeed come in an envelope—when it’s sealed with sacrifice, sent with love, and stamped with excellence.

To support or learn more about the Little Miss 6888th initiative, please contact:

Pastor Kyev Tatum

(817) 966-7625 | kptatum1@gmail.com

www.newmountrose.com

THE POEM.

Hope in an Envelope

With the Little Miss 6888th

By Pastor Kyev Tatum

In war-torn lands so far from home,

Where silence wrapped each soldier’s roam,

A letter came—a lifeline near—

With hope enclosed to calm their fear.

Through midnight halls and paper seas,

Where duty marched on aching knees,

They sorted dreams and stitched the thread,

That kept the heart of freedom fed.

The women bold, both Black and brown,

Refused to let the mail break down.

Six Triple Eight, they bore the weight—

Of lifting hope, not tempting fate.

And now today, with ribbons pressed,

Two little girls in caps and dress,

Walk sacred halls where silence sways,

And echo songs of yesterdays.

Little Miss 6888th stands tall,

Though still too young to know it all.

She bears the names, she lifts the light—

Of women who gave wings to fight.

She carries doves, she carries truth,

She’s history stitched into youth.

With every bow and every smile,

She bridges time with solemn style.

From Fort Worth’s fields to Capitol grace,

She takes her humble, holy place.

To show the world what courage sends—

When hope is placed in youthful hands.

So let the bells of memory ring,

For mothers, daughters—every wing—

That flew through war without a gun,

But won the fight for everyone.

Hope in an envelope still flies,

On wings of doves through distant skies.

Stamped with honor, sealed in gold,

A story once too shy to be told.

But now it lives—in verse, in dress—

In every “yes” we now confess.

That excellence, through sacrifice,

Still writes the mail of paradise.