NJ street named for one of WWII’s all-Black, female postal group

It’s not often you get to hear from a 100-year-old veteran that is also a New Jersey native.

Not only do we get to hear her story, but New Jerseyans can now visit what was formerly known as North Oraton Parkway and Davis Place to see the new and improved Gladys Eva Blount Way.

The street was named after none other than Gladys Blount, who was shipped to England to help in World War II over 77 years ago.

She was one of 855 members of an all-Black, female postal battalion who were given the task of sorting through letters and packages during the war.

They looked for family letters in order to boost the morale of soldiers and remind them of those at home.

Blount sorted through thousands of letters a day, and the job the battalion did was a valuable part of the war effort.

However, upon her return to the U.S., she received little to no recognition for her efforts.

Part of this was due to the political climate at the time, as she was seen as a minority in her community.

She kept her head down, however, and kept up her work ethic without a care in the world for who was watching.

She was proud of her actions and wanted to continue making a difference in people’s lives.

Her sensitivity and thoughtfulness are ultimately what have earned her the honor of having her home street renamed after her.

This recognition means her legacy can now live on in East Orange forever.

Not only were members of the Six-Triple-Eight battalion awarded the congressional gold medal this year, but Blount was honored by Hillsborough County leaders and given the key to the city of her hometown of East Orange, too.

Blount has always been a valuable and underappreciated member of her community and I’m thankful I get to watch her be appreciated today.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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