In the face of adversity and discrimination, including living in segregated housing that lacked proper light and heat, the dedication and courage of these women brought hope when it was needed most.
Credit: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy of Netflix
Credit: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy of Netflix
In addition to Washington, the ensemble cast includes Ebony Obsidian (“Tyler Perry’s Sistas”), Susan Sarandon, Dean Norris, Sam Waterston and Oprah Winfrey.
“The Neon is delighted to be able to bring this exciting and important film to the big screen,” said Jonathan McNeal, manager of The Neon. “It is our understanding that ‘The Six Triple Eight’ is not getting a very wide theatrical release, so we had to pitch our reasoning to the film’s distributor in a thoughtful way. We expressed that not only was Charity Adams Earley a Daytonian with strong ties to many civic-minded organizations in our community, but her son, Stanley, was on The Neon’s board for several years.”
Stanley Early III and Judith Earley, Charity’s children, were not involved in the making of “The Six Triple Eight” but Stanley has confidence in the project nonetheless, particularly in terms of the cast’s strengths and the overall production values.
“I had a couple of conversations with the film’s historian but that’s about it,” said Earley, director of management and budget for Prince George’s County, Maryland and former deputy city manager for the city of Dayton. “I feel as good as I can about this film. I feel like it’s a quality presentation with excellent actors. I think they’ve really done this as well as one could hope.”
Credit: ELIZABETH HELM-F
Credit: ELIZABETH HELM-F
On Oct. 19, the Earleys attended a promotional event for the film at the Military Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. While there they met Washington, who was the guest of honor.
“It was a wonderful event,” Stanley said. “We also had a great conversation with Kerry who was very nice. She was very happy to be a part of the film and I also gave her copies of some photos of my mother, including her playing ping pong in uniform. It’s wonderful that Kerry is playing my mother, and I’m more excited about it now partly after meeting her. This whole project is quite wonderful and I can tell a lot of people are excited about the movie. It is wonderful that this story is being told.”
There’s also a new Broadway musical being developed about the Six Triple Eight produced by Tony nominee and Emmy and Grammy winner Blair Underwood. The creative team behind “Six-Triple-Eight: A New Musical” includes Ronvé O’Daniel (music and lyrics) and Jevares C. Myrick (composer), a duo with Wright State University roots. Stanley attended a recent table reading starring Drama Desk Award winner Anna Uzele (“Six,” “New York, New York”) as Charity.
“I’m extremely excited about the show and was very pleased,” he said. “They not only invited me but they asked for comments and also took all kinds of notes. Another workshop will likely happen this spring.”
After World War II, Charity, who grew up in Columbia, South Carolina and graduated from Wilberforce University in 1938, eventually relocated to Dayton in 1952 with her husband, Stanley Earley, Jr., M.D. Her commitment to community included serving on a variety of boards, including Dayton Art Institute, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Power and Light, Dayton Metro Housing Authority, the American Red Cross, and Sinclair Community College. She also volunteered for the United Way, United Negro College Fund and the YWCA among others, and was pivotal in the creation of Parity Inc.’s Black Leadership Development Program. Charity Adams Earley Girls Academy, one of 17 elementary schools within Dayton Public Schools, is named in her honor.
In addition to the Six Triple Eight receiving the 2021 Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 2023 Fort Lee, Va. was officially renamed Fort Gregg-Adams in honor of Arthur Gregg and Charity Adams. In June, the Dayton VA Medical Center renamed its women’s clinic the Lt. Col. Charity Adams-Earley Women’s Clinic. In August, Reps. Mike Turner (R-Dayton) and Joyce Beatty (D-Columbus) introduced a symbolic resolution encouraging the U.S. Postal Service to issue a commemorative stamp in honor of Charity, who has also been recognized by the National Postal Museum, National Women’s History Museum, Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame, Smithsonian Institute, and the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame. The Dayton Branch NAACP instituted the Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley Award of Excellence in 2023. A bust of her likeness is at a monument at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas as well. Born Dec. 5, 1918 in Kittrell, North Carolina, she died Jan. 13, 2002, at the age of 83, in Dayton and was buried in Woodland Cemetery.
“It has all been a wonderful recognition and, frankly, amazing,” Stanley said regarding recent accolades celebrating the Six Triple Eight. “Sometimes it’s hard for me to realize how real it is and sometimes it’s hard for me to fully appreciate how important my mother and her story is to people. I understand it but I’m inside of it in a sense. I’ve known about it all my life.
“I also continue to be surprised by people who are involved in the military or who are (fans) of history who have never heard of the Six Triple Eight. But I shouldn’t be surprised because there are so many important stories that have been lost and it’s so good that this one is being brought forward,” he said.
During The Neon’s engagement of “The Six Triple Eight,” there will be a resource table in the lobby with resource materials from several organizations near and dear to Charity including The Urban League, The Red Cross, Sinclair Community College and more. After the film’s screening at 7:15 p.m. on Dec. 6, Stanley and Judith will participate in a brief discussion.
“The most important thing about the Six Triple Eight is the job they did in an extremely difficult time,” Stanley said. “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.”
For tickets or more information about the film, visit neonmovies.com. The Neon is located at 130 E. Fifth St., Dayton.
Credit: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy of Netflix
Credit: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy of Netflix
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