Double Victory

Overview

The unique and often overlooked stories of African American women who did extraordinary things to help the Allies during World War II are revealed in this important examination. Helping lay the foundation for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s as they fought discrimination at home and abroad, a range of remarkable women—war workers, political activists, military women, volunteers, and entertainers—are profiled, offering a unique perspective on the Second World War. The book includes the accomplishments of heralded names, such as Mary McLeod Bethune and Lena Horne as well as those of lesser-known heroes, including Hazel Dixon Payne, the only woman to serve on the remote Alaska-Canadian Highway; Deverne Calloway, a Red Cross worker who led a protest at an army base in India; and Betty Murphy Phillips, the only black female overseas war correspondent. With source notes and a bibliography for further exploration, this work stands as a valuable piece of history and encourages young readers to look within their communities for the stories of the women of the "greatest generation" and to recover them before it is too late.

Reviews

“Double Victory is a treasure trove of little-known African American history. Cheryl Mullenbach reveals the stories our parents and grandparents were too humble to tell. Read this book and, no matter how much you think you know, you will learn something new.”  —Sherri L. Smith, author, Flygirl

“Cheryl Mullenbach has done a great service in telling the stories of these determined black women who fought racial injustice two decades before the civil rights movement in order to win the right to fight fascism alongside their fellow Americans. Double Victory is at once heartbreaking and inspiring.” —Kathryn Atwood, author of Women Heroes of Word War II

“Double Victory . . . spotlights the history of ordinary women who stepped up, spoke out, and defied the rules. These unforgettable African American women denied the America they had in favor of the America in which they hoped to live—and paved the way for the women who continue to create the America we have today.”  —Tanita S. Davis, author, Mare’s War

“In this important new book, Mullenbach demonstrates how black women experienced World War II as a watershed event that ultimately led to more freedoms and equality.”  —Maggi M. Morehouse, author, Fighting in the Jim Crow Army: Black Men and Women Remember World War II

Author Biography

Cheryl Mullenbach is a former history teacher, librarian, and public television project manager and is currently a social studies consultant. She has contributed to Arizona Living Magazine, the Des Moines Register, Iowa Council for the Social Studies Journal, and Iowa Heritage Illustrated, as well as several entries to Women in American Military History: An Encyclopedia. She lives in Panora, Iowa.

Awards