Lisa Rayam
,
Kendall Murry
| WABE
April 4th, 2025
In honor of National Black Women’s Labor Day, Atlanta’s APEX Museum will screen the historical documentary “Invisible Warriors: Honoring The Legacy of Black ‘Rosie the Riveters'” on Saturday.
The film illuminates the stories of women who contributed to the World War II effort and ultimately helped to reshape American history.
“There were Black women who were code breakers in Washington, D.C.; there were Black women who built airplanes, tanks, ships. You name it,” said Gregory Cooke, the documentary’s producer and director.
“Invisible Warriors” marks his directorial debut. He previously served as associate director on “Choc’late Soldiers from the USA,” a 2013 documentary exploring African American soldiers’ adversities in World War II.
Cooke, whose mother worked in the federal government during the era, says he was drawn to the project because of the significance of the contributions made by the roughly 600,000 Black women living in the U.S. at the time.
“Arguably, they are the most significant group of Black women post enslavement simply because of their sheer numbers, and the fact that they are the first group of Black women to get out of white folks’ kitchens or into the fields,” the filmmaker noted.
They still experienced obstacles, fighting consistent racism, sexism and workplace discrimination. But, as Cooke notes, their desire to persevere allowed for several opportunities many had never experienced.
“So many people were connected to the war … I think everyone was pulling in the same direction, but they still pulled separately,” he notes. “I talked to some of these women, and they told me, ‘It was the paycheck,’ but it was also an opportunity to change their lives and the lives of their family members. But World War II only lasted for a minute.”
While reflecting on the film and its message, Cooke notes that his main hope is that audiences will appreciate the contributions and sacrifices of those he considers “extraordinary women.” In his eyes, they are the stepping stones for the continuation of African Americans who are still fighting for their country today.
“Some fought with a riffing gun. My mother fought with a typewriter,” he said. “I also want [audiences] to understand they may have women in their families that they never knew were in the war. And I always encourage people to go home and say, ‘What did grandma do [during the war]?’ … because the answers may surprise you.”
The screening is free to the public and begins at 5 p.m.
