If you watched “The Six Triple Eight” on Netflix over the holidays, you might’ve wondered why the World War II movie — about the battalion of 855 Black women and women of color who untangled a three-year backlog of mail (17 million pieces of it) and dramatically improved morale — is dedicated to “the life, service and memory” of entertainment mogul Clarence Avant and his wife, philanthropist Jacqueline Avant.

Their daughter, diplomat-turned-film producer Nicole Avant was the person who brought the incredible untold true story to Tyler Perry’s attention.

When Nicole was a little girl, Jacqueline told her about Major Charity Adams (portrayed by Kerry Washington), the first African American woman to become an officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. But Nicole doesn’t remember her mother mentioning that Adams commanded the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion or their heroics during World War II. So, when Nicole received a sizzle...