Born: September 8, 1913 (Earlsboro, Oklahoma)
Died: November 7, 2007
Biography:
Oleta Lawanda Crain (September 8, 1913 – November 7, 2007) was an African-American military officer, federal civil servant, and advocate for black women’s rights and desegregation. Out of 300 women nationwide who entered officer training in the U.S. military in 1943, she was one of the three African Americans. She served in the United States Air Force for 20 years, retiring with the rank of major. In 1964, she began working for the United States Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., becoming regional administrator of its Women’s Bureau in Denver, Colorado, in 1984. She traveled and spoke extensively to women about employment rights, wages, and career opportunities. She received numerous awards and honors and was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 1988.
Early Life and Education:
Oleta Lawanda Crain was born to V. Paula Crain in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, and grew up in Wewoka. She graduated from Douglass High School and studied at Langston University for three years but received her bachelor’s degree in social science from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. She later earned an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Maryland’s extension university in Heidelberg, Germany. In pursuit of further education, she took courses at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Cambridge University in England, and the University of Vienna School of International Relations in Austria. After joining the civil service, she earned her master’s degree in public administration at Northeastern University.
Military Career:
In the early 1940s, Crain taught gym and history in a segregated school in Hugo, Oklahoma. Seeking better opportunities, she moved to Colorado in 1942 and obtained a job at the Denver Ordnance Plant cleaning toilets. Her decision to enlist was influenced by a Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps poster calling for women to join military bands to aid the war effort. However, she discovered that black women were not being recruited for those positions.
Undeterred, Crain completed basic training and then applied to officer training where she was one of only three black women selected out of 300 nationwide in 1943. Her dedication and skills led to promotions, including the rank of corporal in December 1942 and company leader of an African-American unit in February 1943. In September, she was discharged from the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps to enter regular service in the Women’s Army Corps as an Air Force Second Lieutenant.
Throughout her military career, Crain faced pervasive racial discrimination. While the black women officers in training were denied the same sleeping quarters and shower facilities as their white counterparts, they were nevertheless determined to serve their country with dignity and excellence.
Post-Military Contributions:
Upon retiring from the Air Force with the rank of major, Oleta Crain embarked on a new chapter of her life as a civil servant. In 1964, she joined the United States Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. and dedicated her talents to promoting women’s rights and equality in the workforce. Her unwavering commitment to empowering women led her to become the regional administrator of the Women’s Bureau in Denver, Colorado, in 1984.
Crain tirelessly traveled across the country, engaging with women from diverse backgrounds, and advocating for their employment rights, fair wages, and career opportunities. Her inspirational speeches and guidance created pathways for countless women to overcome societal barriers and seize their full potential.
Throughout her remarkable life, Oleta Crain received numerous awards and honors for her extraordinary contributions. In 1988, she was deservedly inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, a testament to her enduring impact on society and her invaluable role in advancing women’s rights and desegregation.
Awards:
– Inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame (1988)
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