HerStory
Centuries of Service. Finally Seen.
A timeline of African-American women in the United States Armed Forces — the warriors whose names history forgot to write.
1861–1865
Civil War Pioneers
Harriet Tubman serves as a scout, spy, and nurse for the Union Army — leading the Combahee River Raid that frees more than 700 enslaved people.
1917–1918
World War I
Eighteen Black nurses are admitted to the Army Nurse Corps after the armistice, opening doors that had long been closed.
1944–1945
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
The only all-Black, all-female battalion to serve overseas in WWII clears a 17-million-piece mail backlog in just three months — earning the Congressional Gold Medal in 2022.
1948
Integration of the Armed Forces
President Truman signs Executive Order 9981, ending racial segregation in the U.S. military and opening every branch to Black women's full participation.
1979
Brigadier General Hazel Johnson-Brown
Becomes the first Black woman general in the U.S. Army and Chief of the Army Nurse Corps.
2008
General Lori Robinson Era Begins
Black women rise to flag and general officer ranks across every branch — leading combat commands, hospitals, and global missions.
Today
Visible Warriors
African-American women serve in every role — pilots, engineers, commanders, chaplains, and astronauts. NABMW exists to make sure their stories are told.
Share Your HerStory
Are you — or was a woman in your family — a Black servicemember?
Help us archive her story. Every name, every photograph, every memory matters.