Democrats Demand Halt to Book Bans at Military Academies

Congressional leaders intensify scrutiny of book removals targeting DEI content, calling for transparency and accountability across service academies.

• Nearly 400 books, including Maya Angelou's 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,' were removed from the U.S. Naval Academy library under a Trump administration directive targeting DEI content.
• Leading Democrats, including Rep. Adam Smith and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, have called for an immediate halt to the removals, citing concerns over free speech and academic freedom.
• The Navy released a list of the banned titles, which include works on racism, gender identity, and the Holocaust, sparking accusations of censorship and historical erasure.
• Congressional inquiries have expanded to include the Army and Air Force academies, seeking details on whether similar book removals are occurring and how decisions are being made.
• Critics argue the book bans reflect a broader rollback of diversity initiatives in federal institutions, evoking comparisons to McCarthy-era censorship policies.

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