Photo: Leudell Mitchell and Lavada Cherry © Courtesy of Vision Films
“Invisible Warriors” Brings the Untold Story of Black Women in WWII to Screens this Black History Month
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This Black History Month, a long-overdue chapter of American history is taking center stage with the release of Invisible Warriors: African American Women in World War II, the acclaimed documentary by educator, historian, and filmmaker Gregory S. Cooke.
The film honors the extraordinary yet often overlooked contributions of approximately 600,000 African American women who served on the U.S. home front during World War II — women who became the original Black “Rosie the Riveters.” While the iconic Rosie symbol has long represented women’s wartime labour, Invisible Warriors reveals the deeper, untold reality of Black women who not only fueled the war effort but also battled racism, sexism, and systemic exclusion in the process.
Through rare archival footage and compelling first-person testimony, the documentary brings viewers inside factories, shipyards, government offices, and wartime communities where these trailblazers reshaped both industry and opportunity. These women broke barriers in manufacturing, civil service, and technical fields, setting in motion generational shifts in employment, education, and social mobility for Black women in America.
Cooke, who directed, wrote, and executive-produced the film alongside Ethel “Becky” Cooke and Basil Spalding Jones, has dedicated his career to restoring African American stories to their rightful place in history. His educational nonprofit, The Basil and Becky Educational Foundation, has also developed companion Social Studies and STEAM curricula for students in Grades 8 through 12, extending the film’s impact beyond entertainment into classrooms and cultural learning spaces.
“These women are arguably the most significant group of Black women in the 20th century,” said Cooke. “My mother was also a Rosie. She and her peers created job opportunities and changed the course of history for future generations. They did remarkable things under very difficult circumstances, and we must not forget that.”
Vision Films CEO and Managing Director Lise Romanoff emphasized the film’s broader cultural importance, calling it “an important documentary to keep alive the legacy of powerful and patriotic Black women who joined the war effort despite racial, gender, and societal obstacles.”
The project has drawn wide support, including co-sponsorship from the Dutch government in recognition of Black women’s role in the liberation of the Netherlands, as well as backing from Drexel Alumni, the Better Angels/Lavine Fellowship, and several philanthropic organizations dedicated to historical preservation and social equity.
The documentary has also been praised by leaders in historical commemoration. Holly Rotondi, Executive Director of Friends of the National World War II Memorial, described Invisible Warriors as “an important film in bringing long overdue honor and recognition to vital members of our nation’s ‘Greatest Generation.’”
Timed with Black History Month, Invisible Warriors is a powerful tribute that reclaims the stories that history books too often leave in the margins. These women were courageous patriots, and their impact on American cultural identity endures to this day—films like these honor their remarkable sacrifices.
(SOURCE: Vision Films, Inc.)
Where to Watch
Beginning on February 3rd, Invisible Warriors will be available on a variety of VOD platforms including Rogers and Shaw in Canada and Comcast, Charter, Cox, Spectrum, Verizon, Dish and DirecTV in the USA, as well, as all of the digital PD platforms, such as Vimeo, Amazon, Fandago at Home, Google Play, and iTunes in honor of Black History Month.
In addition, Invisible Warriors will be on Sky Store in the UK as well as many other global platforms, such as for rental in libraries with the hoopla service.
You make like more related to Black History Month:
- Thirty Years of Honouring Black Brilliance in Canada
- Black History Makers at Tropicana 2023
- Trace the Footsteps of the Black Loyalists in Birchtown, Nova Scotia
