Overview

• Ryan Holiday, a frequent lecturer at the Naval Academy, was scheduled to speak on April 14 about wisdom and leadership but included criticism of the academy's book removals in his presentation.
• The academy removed 381 books, including works by Maya Angelou and Ibram X. Kendi, to comply with a January executive order from President Trump banning 'divisive' DEI content.
• Holiday refused the academy's request to omit references to the book ban from his slides, leading to the last-minute cancellation of his lecture.
• The Naval Academy framed the cancellation as a 'schedule change' in alignment with its mission as an apolitical institution, though critics argue it reflects broader censorship trends under Pentagon policies.
• The incident has reignited debates over intellectual freedom, leadership training, and the role of diverse perspectives in military education.