Passage
Most histories treat Harriet Ida Pickens and Frances Wills as the first African American women to serve in
the United States Navy, both women became officer candidates in December 1944, near the end of World
War II. Evidence suggests, however, that some 20 to 30 African American women served in the US Navy in
1917-18, during World War I. These women, officially classified as "Yeomen (Female)," were office workers
at Navy Department headquarters in Washington, DC.
Question
The author's main purpose is to
O deny a false accusation
o dismiss a new theory
O correct a mistaken view
O summarize a complex debate