While we are focused on the main purpose of the second paragraph here, its meaning is fundamentally impacted by the first paragraph and so the two should be read together.
The first paragraph tells us that early African American historians adopted a transnational perspective. They did so for several reasons, including that it was necessary to do so if certain aspects of the history of African Americans were to be treated honestly.
The second paragraph then introduces one of these aspects: citizenship. Because the 14th Amendment failed to genuinely resolve the issue of African American citizenship, emigrationist sentiment was a central issue in black political discourse. Some black leaders insisted on their right to American citizenship while others suggested that black people should emigrate and find their own homeland. The paragraph ends by telling us that most African Americans were not willing to relinquish the benefits associated with U.S. citizenship, but they had become pessimistic and questioned their allegiance to the United States.
Answer choice (D) is incorrect because, while this is an important aspect of the second paragraph, it is by no means the main purpose of the paragraph. The example of some African American leaders calling for emigration is presented within the context of the discourse surrounding citizenship as an aspect of African American history.
Answer choice (A) is correct because it recognizes this context. Citizenship was one of the aspects of the history of African Americans which needed to be treated honestly. This is exemplified in lines 15 to 18: "...emigrationist sentiment was a central issue in black political discourse, and both issues were critical topics for investigation. The implications for historical scholarship and national identity were enormous." Therefore, this paragraph is telling us that the issue of citizenship played a key role in shaping African American historiography.
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