Monday, March 26, 7-9pm, Columbus Mennonite Church, 35 Oakland Park Ave.

Today’s program: Sandy Bolzenius will talk about her soon-to-be-published [April 2018] book, Glory in Their Spirit: How Four Black Women Took on the Army during World War II.

Before Rosa Parks and the March on Washington, four African-American women risked their careers and freedom to defy the United States Army over segregation. Glory in Their Spirit presents the powerful story of their persistence and the public uproar that ensued.

Newspapers chose sides. Civil rights activists coalesced to wield a new power. The military, meanwhile, found itself increasingly unable to justify its policies.

In the end, Green, Morrison, Murphy, and Young chose court-martial over a return to menial duties. But their courage pushed the segregated military to the breaking point and helped to steer one of American’s most powerful institutions onto a new road towards progress and justice.

Sandy Bolzenius is a former instructor at The Ohio State University and had served as a transportation specialist in the United States Army.

Contact: cohioansforpeace@gmail.com