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Pentagon Orders Military Academies to Remove Books on 'Divisive Concepts'

A new directive requires military academies to identify and set aside books on race, gender, and related topics by May 21, escalating the Defense Department's anti-DEI campaign.

United States Military Academy (USMA), also known as West Point, Army, The Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in West Point, New York.
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington, as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo

Overview

  • The Pentagon has issued a memo mandating that military academies review and sequester books addressing race, gender ideology, and other 'divisive concepts' by May 21.
  • A temporary Academic Libraries Committee has been established to guide the review process, using search terms such as 'critical race theory' and 'affirmative action.'
  • This directive marks the most extensive enforcement of President Trump's January executive order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) content in federal institutions.
  • The U.S. Naval Academy has already removed nearly 400 books, while a federal lawsuit filed by the ACLU challenges the broader anti-DEI policy's impact on education and free speech.
  • Critics, including a resigning West Point professor, warn that the policy undermines academic freedom and erases critical historical and cultural perspectives.