The U.S. Army and Air Force have received directives to examine their libraries for books related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), following a significant book removal at the U.S. Naval Academy. This initiative, driven by the Trump administration, aims to eliminate literature that is perceived to challenge meritocracy and unity. The orders require a thorough review of collections, reflecting concerns over previous criticisms regarding the removal of certain works, including significant historical texts. This process is set to take place under cautious oversight to mitigate backlash, especially after the fallout from the Naval Academy's removals.
The orders from service leaders come about two weeks after the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, removed nearly 400 books from its library after being told by the office of the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, to get rid of those that promote DEI.
Books on the Holocaust, histories of feminism, civil rights and racism, as well as Maya Angelou's famous autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, were among the 381 books that were removed from the US Naval Academy's Nimitz Library.
The army memo was sent to the US Military Academy at West Point, New York, the Army War College in Pennsylvania and several other service departments, stating that they must review their collections and remove books promoting DEI.
It says they must review their collections and any books promoting DEI, gender ideology and critical race theory in a manner that subverts meritocracy and unity must be removed pending additional guidance.
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