Women Spies You Didn't Know About: History's Unknown Black Female Spies
When most people think of spies, they think of James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Jack Bauer. However, women have been the backbone of the intelligence community for years, fighting for equality and recognition. In the 1940s, when the CIA was first created, women took on a large role, including recruiting spies, translating letters, and analyzing intelligence. In fact, there were more women than men in the early CIA. Black women have made vital contributions to the cause of freedom and liberty, and they've done so in the face of oppression. Here are some Black female spies that history books have likely forgotten about.
Josephine Baker
Born into poverty in St. Louis Missouri, Baker would become a vaudeville star, fashion Icon, civil rights activist, and a spy for the French Resistance during world war 2. What a trail blazer! Josephine’s celebrity was the ideal cover for her espionage work. She possessed social power and was already traveling all over Europe. Whether she was a performer or celebrity guest, she would attend diplomatic parties and events, collecting intelligence about the movements of Nazi troops. She would pin the information to notes on her underwear knowing they would not dare search her at the border. She sometimes worked with fellow secret agent Jaques Abtey, who pretended to be her assistant and recorded information in invisible ink on her sheet music. When the Nazi’s became suspicious, Josephine fled France for Portugal. Baker was awarded both the Croix de Guerre and the Médaille de la Resistance for her service.
Mary Jane Richards
Mary Richards aka Mary Bowser aka Richmonia Richards used so many aliases throughout her work as a spy during the civil war, that her true name still lies in dispute. She was born into slavery and then freed in her youth by Elizabeth Van Lew and her mother. It is believed she received an education in New Jersey, and she even traveled as a missionary to Liberia; we know this because 5 years later she was arrested during her return to the United States. Mary was charged under a law in Virginia that prohibited educated blacks from entering the state. Elizabeth Van Lew eventually heard of the arrest and posted her bail. Elizabeth Van Lew was a wealthy Virginian who also happened to run an espionage circle called the Union Underground. It’s important to note that Mary was born with a photographic memory and used that to create aliases to move about after her arrest. Elizabeth soon recruited Mary to become a spy. Mary Bowser infiltrated the home of Jefferson Davis, the confederate president, posing as an uneducated servant in the southern white house. While cleaning up after Davis, she would memorize all his sensitive documents and report back to Van Lew. She was perhaps one of the most integral parts of the spy ring. After the war, she would go on to open schools for free people and toured the country giving lectures on her time as a spy.
Unnamed Wife and Dabney
Unfortunately, many women are lost to history because nobody recorded their names. But that doesn’t mean we can’t honor the actions that we do know about. Our Unnamed Wife escaped slavery with her husband, Dabney, during the Civil War. They made it together to the Union Army Camp in Rappahannock, Virginia. Dabny relayed information he had gathered while serving as a cook to the confederate soldiers. Our unnamed women volunteered to re-enter the South and pose as a washerwoman for a prominent general. She would memorize important information while working at his headquarters using a secret communication code she developed through the clothing she carefully positioned and hung on the laundry line. What incredible courage and smarts!