President Donald Trump’s crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion claimed another victim, this time in the form of affinity groups at the United States Military Academy that promote “DEI” initiatives. Among the recently banned clubs are the Asian-Pacific Forum Club, the Contemporary Cultural Affairs Seminar Club, the Latin Cultural Club and the National Society of Black Engineers Club. With the Military Academy’s ban on its affinity groups, Naval Academy graduates are worried that their groups may be next.
Since taking office in January, President Trump set his sights on creating a “meritocracy” within the Department of Defense. On January 27, President Trump released an Executive Order that stated “in recent years civilian and uniformed leadership alike have implemented Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and their attendant race and sex preferences within the Armed Forces…They also violate Americans’ consciences by engaging in invidious race and sex discrimination.”
In the sweeping changes that followed, President Trump fired the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Fagan, who was the first female to lead a branch of the armed forces. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, unceremoniously declared “identity months dead at DoD” as he announced that “going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month.”
In an effort to comply with the ongoing crusade, the United States Military Academy declared that its student clubs relating to diversity, equity and inclusion would cease to exist.
Vincent Vu, a former West Point cadet who helped establish West Point’s now defunct Vietnamese American Cadet Association, told the New York Times “West Point was probably the first place where I had a supportive environment for my identity and who I am.” Vu credited the club with making him a “better officer.”
Like its sister school, the United States Naval Academy boasts a plethora of affinity clubs, including the Society of Women Engineers, the Chinese Culture Club, the Filipino-American Midshipman Club, the Italian American Club, the Vietnamese Student Association and the Native American Heritage Club, among many others.
Though there has been no official word from the United States Naval Academy regarding DEI-related groups or clubs, Naval Academy graduates are wary of potentially similar bans coming to Navy.
One former midshipman, who wishes to remain anonymous, described how important an affinity group was in his development as an officer and also voiced his concerns over their potential ban.
“I would not have become the officer I was if I had not joined my club. These clubs help you connect with other people who are like you, and when there are not that many that are like you, it is important to do that. We have Sailors, Marines, Soldiers and Airmen that could go their entire careers without the leadership of someone who has their same lived experiences and has experienced the same challenges they have faced. The more we connect and talk about those things, the stronger of a force we become. That is why these groups are important.” He continued to say that “maybe in a vacuum, the loss of these clubs wouldn’t actually mean that much change. But this is not a vacuum. The fact that these clubs already exist, we would be going out of our way to remove them, and that means that the groups of people affected are watching the deliberately public ban and thinking ‘they don’t want someone like me.’”
While the Naval Academy has not made any decision about the future of its affinity clubs, the United States Naval Institute reported on February 10, that the Chief of Naval Operations canceled Memorandums of Understanding with three military affinity organizations: the Sea Services Leadership Association, the National Naval Services Officers Association and the Association of Naval Services Officers—all of which promoted diversity and inclusion for marginalized groups.
The same anonymous source closed his thoughts with a call to let the clubs continue. He believes that “the military has consistently been at the forefront of acceptance of marginalized groups. It hasn’t always been pretty. But think back on the history of the military. Doris Miller was the first African American to receive the Navy Cross, and he did it in 1941, well before the Civil Rights movement. Think about Opha May Johnson, the first female to join the Marine Corps. She did it in 1918, before women had won the right to vote. Our military has always been a guiding feature in how to treat people. It must continue to be so.”
