Correct. The answer is a. Gooding and other veterans, both black and white, noticed how military service seemed to change the way African American men were perceived. Instead of being seen as lowly and repulsive slaves, black soldiers were transformed into respected American citizens. As Gooding put it, military service facilitated “the elevation of a downtrodden and despised race,” and helped African Americans contradict the notion “that they were not men.”
Incorrect. The answer is a. Gooding and other veterans, both black and white, noticed how military service seemed to change the way African American men were perceived. Instead of being seen as lowly and repulsive slaves, black soldiers were transformed into respected American citizens. As Gooding put it, military service facilitated “the elevation of a downtrodden and despised race,” and helped African Americans contradict the notion “that they were not men.”