In this image, Cleo Sweat Parks is shown in her wedding dress, on June 25, 1944, when she married Rev. Lyman Parks. Cleo Parks was born on November 7, 1922 and passed away on October 12, 2018. Before her marriage, Parks entered the work force after graduating high school and became the first African American to be hired at the Hayne Selight factory where superchargers for airplanes were manufactured. After her marriage, Parks raised her family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, worked as a homeschool coordinator, and served as the First Lady of Grand Rapids from 1971 to 1976. The wedding dress that Parks wore was common for many brides during the 1940s. Women’s bridal fashion during the 1940s resembled that of the 1930s: figure skimming silhouettes, high necklines, and long sleeves. These trends can all be seen in the dress Parks wore on her wedding day. The Second World War had a huge impact on the fashion industry because of the rationing of supplies and the German occupation of Paris. Clothing was rationed in both the United States and United Kingdom, which led to simpler dresses, and different fabrics being used to accommodate ration requirements. Additionally, France had been established as the women’s fashion capital of the world, and during German occupation, fashion designers could not get their designs to the United States or the United Kingdom. This change led to American and British fashion designs temporarily taking over the fashion industry. Kathryn Schwegler, 5/4/2021