“It’s a great song and I know the Earley family had their fingers crossed for some recognition Oscar-wise,” said Jonathan McNeal, manager of The Neon. “Many people connected with ‘The Six Triple Eight’ so I’m glad it received recognition in some way.”
At age 26, Adams supervised the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, serving as the highest-ranking Black woman officer during World War II.
The unit, stationed in Birmingham, England, Rouen, France and Paris, sorted through 17 million pieces of backlogged mail. They were given six months to complete the backlog but finished in three months, ultimately delivering mail to more than seven million soldiers. In the face of adversity and discrimination, including living in segregated housing that lacked proper light and heat, the dedication and courage of these 855 women brought hope when it was needed most.
Credit: ddn archive
Credit: ddn archive
“The most important thing about the Six Triple Eight is the job they did in an extremely difficult time,” previously said Stanley Earley III, Charity’s son and former deputy city manager for the city of Dayton. “And they did their task entirely by hand with no computers, sorting machines or scanners. They did a task that nobody thought could be done in that amount of time under those kinds of circumstances and they did it well. And that’s why they deserve to be honored.”
In related Oscar news, musical drama “Emilia Pérez” leads all films with a historic 13 nominations, a record for an international film. Epic drama “The Brutalist” tied musical blockbuster “Wicked” with 10 nominations. “The Brutalist,” starring Adrien Brody and running over 3 hours including a 15-minute intermission, is now playing at The Neon. Also, religious drama “Conclave,” which received eight nominations, was The Neon’s highest-grossing film of 2024.
The Neon expects to screen Best Picture nominees “I’m Still Here” (starring Best Actress nominee Fernanda Torres) and “Nickel Boys” in the coming weeks.
“I’m pleased with the inclusion of ‘I’m Still Here,' which is exceptional,” McNeal said. “We will also look to potentially bring ‘Emilia Pérez’ even though it’s streaming on Netflix. We will look to bring it for at least a handful of shows between now and the Oscars. There are a lot of contenders on the horizon.”
“The Journey” will compete for Original Song among tunes from “Emilia Pérez,” “Sing Sing” and “Elton John: Never Too Late.” Due to a shift in tone in response to the California wildfires, the nominated songs will not be performed at the March 2 ceremony. Producers will focus on reflections from the songwriters instead.
“The Six Triple Eight” is streaming on Netflix. For a complete list of Oscar nominations, visit oscars.org. The Neon is located at 130 E. Fifth St., Dayton.
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