“It is encouraging to see this much progress”: Malmstrom Air Force Base and Civil Rights Activism in Great Falls, Montana, 1947–1984

"It is encouraging to see this much progress"Malmstrom Air Force Base and Civil Rights Activism in Great Falls, Montana, 1947–1984 Troy Hallsell (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution This unidentified African American airman played the trumpet in a 1952 talent contest on Great Falls television station KXLK. Following World War II, hundreds of Black servicemen like this man came to Malmstrom AFB, though they often received an icy reception from members of the broader community. Lot 034 B4F05.07, MTHS Photo Archives [End Page 3] In the summer of 2020, Colonel Jennifer K. Reeves, the 341st Missile Wing commander on Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), Montana, started a Diversity and Inclusion Tiger Team that explored "various race/ethnicity/demographic issues, with a focus on African Americans." During a meeting with wing leadership, Major Chris Boney, the Tiger Team chief, reported that "many of our minority Airmen and their families have described interactions with the local community that have left them feeling unwelcomed and at times threatened." These "stories ranged from our members being followed around in stores, called racial slurs, children being teased, and other more aggressive actions." These interactions "weigh our Airmen down and over time it takes a toll on the mental and spiritual health of them and their families," he concluded.1 In response, the Tiger Team brainstormed ideas and came up with possible ways to further racial equality on and off base. As part of these efforts, the Tiger Team met with Greg Doyon, the Great Falls city manager. Based on this and subsequent meetings, Doyon announced several policy changes for the Great Falls Police Department and provided information that would connect airmen with resources to lodge formal discrimination complaints with the city and state of Montana. At first glance, this approach appeared to address an immediate concern—discrimination in the surrounding area—but it also fit into a long-standing history of civil rights activism in Great Falls, with Malmstrom AFB at the center.2 After President Harry S. Truman desegregated the military in 1948, Malmstrom witnessed an increase of Black airmen, a change that Great Falls' white residents soon noticed. At nearly every turn, business-owners denied Black airmen access to their establishments, and many found it nearly impossible to rent a home. In response, the Dunbar Study and Art Club, the local chapter of the Montana Federation of Colored Women's Clubs, successfully lobbied state legislators to pass an anti-discrimination ordinance in 1955. However, the law did not change white residents' attitudes. When Geraldine Travis, an Air Force spouse, arrived in 1967, she witnessed similar acts across the city. As a result, she became a charter member of a revived local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and became the state's first Black legislator in 1975. She represented Malmstrom AFB and not only fought to deliver much needed reforms for its civilian workforce but also introduced legislation that could address civil rights and women's concerns. Despite Great Falls' historically small Black community, it has a long record of civil rights activism, much of it centered on efforts to aid the Black airmen stationed at Malmstrom.3 [End Page 4] Click for larger view View full resolution Malmstrom Air Force Base, an expansive facility located at the far eastern edge of Great Falls, Montana, has brought hundreds of Black airmen and their families to the Electric City since its establishment during World War II. The scope of the base is evident in this 1980s photograph: the lower half shows the flight line, administrative buildings, and on-base housing units, with the city to the west and north. Courtesy of the 341st Missile Wing History Office [End Page 5] Black migration into Montana came on the heels of the Civil War and the end of Reconstruction in the South. Many came in search of economic opportunities. For example, Ed Simms worked as a steamboat hand on the Missouri River before disembarking at Fort Benton in 1883 and settling in Great Falls shortly thereafter. By 1887, several of his friends and family had also settled in Great Falls after the Northern Pacific...