The Black women codebreakers of the Cold War
Summary
Dr. Sarah Valentine discusses her book "Decoding the Devil," revealing the overlooked history of Black women codebreakers who deciphered Soviet nuclear intelligence during the Cold War. These women performed manual data analysis, acting as early "human computers" before training the first language-processing machines. Despite their critical contributions, they faced segregation and were largely excluded from subsequent opportunities in the emerging field of computing.
Topics discussed
Sponsors and introductory announcements
Introduction to Black women code breakers in the Cold War
Dr. Valentine's discovery of the Invisible Cryptologists
The segregated Traffic Processing Division and manual data analysis
Recruitment, federal jobs, and educational barriers
Profile of Iris Carr and her career progression
Women as human computers and the Soap Flakes project
Automation replacing human labor and missed opportunities
Research challenges and finding Eleanor Roosevelt's note
Translation as code breaking and closing remarks
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