Webinar: The Six Triple Eight, a WWII Hidden HerStory

The Six Triple Eight, a WWII Hidden HerStory

Wednesday, March 29^th

9:00am Pacific / 12:00pm Eastern

An overview of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion’s challenges, accomplishments, and why they received the Congressional Gold Medal.

Bio:

A native of Fayetteville, NC, Col. Cummings operates a Washington DC area consultancy  specializing in management and proposal services for federal and commercial clients. She was the  first African American woman to earn her commission as an Army officer through the Army Reserve  Officer Training Corps program at Appalachian State University (ASU), Boone, NC. Afterwards, she  embarked on a distinguished 25-year military career in a variety of progressive assignments  culminating with senior-level positions at Georgetown University, the Pentagon, and  NORAD/USNORTHCOM in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After retiring from the Army, she held  management positions for federal contracting companies wherein she led homeland security and  information technology initiatives for federal agencies including the Department of Defense and the  Department of Justice.  

Since January 2018, Col. Cummings has worked to bring recognition to the WWII Women’s Army  Corps unit designated as African American, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion also  known as the Six Triple Eight. As a citizen advocate, she raised funds for the 6888^th monument and  co-produced an award winning documentary about the unit. Cummings championed the effort with  Congress to enact passage of the Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021. On March  14, 2022, President Biden signed the legislation into law awarding the 6888^th the nation’s highest  civilian honor. Through her research and outreach efforts, the story of the 6888^th has reached millions  of audiences worldwide.  

Col. Cummings is a former member of ASU’s Foundation Board of Directors, wherein she  established the Warrior Fund for veterans their children. She is a current member of the History  Makers’, Military Advisory Board, the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive, a member of the Army Women’s Foundation Board of Directors, and an Army Reserve Ambassadorfor the state of Maryland, a volunteer special government employee equivalent to a Major General  (two-star) in the Armed Forces. In this capacity she advances Army ROTC scholarships for reserve  duty opportunities and promotes awareness of the Army Reserve. 

Col. Cummings holds a Master of Strategic Studies, Army War College, Carlisle, PA, and a Master  of Science Degree in Foundations of Education, Troy State University, Troy, AL. She is also a  graduate of the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS, Quartermaster Officers’  Basic and Advanced Courses, Fort Lee, VA, and the Defense Equal Opportunity Management  Institute, Patrick Air Force Base, FL. She has certifications in Information Technology Information  Library (Foundations), Maryland Circuit Court Training for Mediators, and as an Equal Employment  Opportunity Investigator. As an Army officer, she received the Defense Superior Service Medal,  Meritorious Service Medals (three awards), Army Commendation Awards (four awards), Joint  Service Commendation Award, Army Superior Unit, Reserve Forces Medal, Overseas Service  Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.  

Among other military and civic recognitions, in March 2020, Col. Cummings was inducted into the  Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame In 2020, the Military Officers Association of America  selected her as one its national Changemakers. In July 2022, she received the NAACP’s Jesse Brown  Distinguished Leadership Award. She is also a consultant for the upcoming 6888^th Broadway bound  musical.