Over 23.3 million people have watched Netflix’s newest movie, “The Six Triple Eight,” which has become a major World War II story. This is more than just entertainment; it’s the last project that producer Nicole Avant and her late parents, industry mogul Clarence Avant and philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, worked on together. The movie shows how the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, made up of 855 Black women, did amazing things that were mostly forgotten during the war.
Nicole’s journey to bring this story to life began with a talk she had as a child. Major Charity Adams was the first African American woman to become an Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps officer. She and her mother, Jacqueline, talked about her. When she saw a sizzle reel about the group years later, Nicole learned there was much more to the Six Triple Eight story than she had thought. “I told you about the Six Triple Eight,” she said. I told her, ‘No, you told me about Charity Adams, but I didn’t know about 800 people,'” Nicole remembered her mother’s joke.
The project became very important to me after Jacqueline Avant was killed in a tragic home attack in December 2021. This movie was one of the last things they talked about together. After Jacqueline died, Clarence moved in with Nicole and her co-CEO of Netflix husband, Ted Sarandos. Clarence was very active in making the movie. He watched daily footage and finally saw the finished movie before he died in August 2023.
Nicole says that the progress of the production has been marked by “divine timing.” When Tyler Perry and Nicole asked Kerry Washington to play Major Adams, they found out that she had just recently learned about the Six Triple Eight and had even played Lena Derriecott King, one of the group’s last surviving members, in a social media series honoring Black women’s historical contributions.
The movie is a big deal for Ted Sarandos in his personal and business life. It shows Tyler Perry’s growth as a director and a new level of scope and ambition in his work, which means a lot to him. Sarandos personally thinks that the movie represents the Avant family’s goal of keeping and bringing attention to forgotten historical stories.
The movie is a tribute to Clarence and Jacqueline Avant’s lifelong work to bring attention to African American tales and accomplishments. Nicole thinks about what her mother taught her and shares a strong message: “Your job is to take the baton.” Your “thank you” is your life, no matter how many years have passed since you were born. You take the duty and make it your own to be good.
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“The Six Triple Eight” is a testament to Black women’s work during World War II and the lasting power of family commitment in keeping important historical stories alive.
