Big Sean Honors His Grandmother’s Heroic Legacy At ‘The Six Triple Eight’ Premiere

Source: Maya Dehlin Spach / Getty

Big Sean attended the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix’s The Six Triple Eight with his mother, proudly honoring his late grandmother’s legacy. Read more and watch a clip posted by Strong Black Lead inside.

Netflix’s newest film The Six Triple Eight was released Dec. 6 on the streaming platform. The Tyler Perry-directed film is based upon an article titled, “Fighting a Two-Front War,” by Kevin M. Hymel. The film follows the eight hundred and fifty-five join the war effort to address a three-year mail backlog. Despite discrimination and war-torn conditions, they sort over seventeen million pieces of mail ahead of schedule.

Big Sean’s late grandmother, Mildred V. Leonard, was a member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black, all-female unit in the U.S. Army during World War II. The battalion’s story is the focus of the film. Big Sean attended the premiere with his mom, and he expressed gratitude to Perry for telling the story of his grandmother and the battalion.

The Detroit rapper felt honored to be a part of the film and to see his grandmother’s name in the credits. He said, “It was an honor for our family to represent her.”

Big Sean expressed pride in the battalion’s contributions, including sorting over 17 million pieces of mail during a time of segregation. He said, “I’m just proud of them, not just my grandmother, proud of all of them.”

At the Los Angeles premiere of the film, Big Sean attended with his mother, proudly honoring Leonard’s legacy. They brought photographs of her, celebrating her role in this pioneering battalion. In 2022, Leonard was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, recognizing her as one of the first Black women captains in the U.S. Army.

Big Sean expressed gratitude to Tyler Perry for bringing this overlooked chapter of history to light. He noted the significance of the film in honoring the sacrifices made by these courageous women, stating, “I told Tyler Perry how thankful I was because it’s such an overlooked crucial piece of American history and Black history.”

The Six Triple Eight stars Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams, the commanding officer of the battalion, and features a distinguished cast including Oprah Winfrey and Susan Sarandon. The film chronicles the unit’s mission to clear a massive backlog of undelivered mail, ensuring that soldiers maintained vital connections with their loved ones back home.

Perry was inspired to create the film after meeting Lena Derriecott King, a member of the battalion. He aims to honor the legacy of these unsung heroes, saying, “These women who were serving, they were fighting a war on two fronts. They were fighting the Nazis and fighting the racism and segregation that was happening in their own army.”

Big Sean’s personal connection to the story is a beautiful full circle moment. As he reflected on his grandmother’s legacy, he shared, “I was so happy to be raised by such strong Black women that are embedded in my DNA.”

The Six Triple Eight is available for streaming on Netflix.

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