West Point shuts down clubs centered on race and gender – Washington Examiner
West Point,the U.S. Military Academy, has disbanded a number of clubs focused on race, ethnicity, and gender as part of a review aligned with new policies from the Department of Defense and directives from the current governance. The clubs that were shut down include various cultural organizations such as the Latin Cultural Club, National Society of black engineers Club, and the Society of Women Engineers Club, among others.
Chad Foster, the deputy commandant, issued a memorandum stating that these organizations were being disbanded to comply with an executive order by President Donald Trump which seeks to eliminate race-based and sex-based preferences within the military. The executive order criticizes diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as detrimental to military effectiveness.
While West Point’s acceptance into the academy remains highly competitive, with thousands of applicants vying for a limited number of spots, the recent changes reflect broader shifts in military policy under the current administration.
West Point shuts down clubs centered on race and gender
The U.S. Military Academy is shutting down a dozen clubs centered on cadets’ race, ethnicity, and gender.
“In accordance with recent guidance, the U.S. Military Academy is reviewing programs and activities affiliated with our former office of Diversity and Inclusion,” the West Point communications office said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “The clubs disbanded yesterday were sponsored by that office. More than one hundred clubs remain at the U.S. Military Academy, and our leadership will continue to provide opportunities for cadets to pursue their academic, military, and physical fitness interests while following Army policy, directives, and guidance.”
The clubs disbanded include the Latin Cultural Club, National Society of Black Engineers Club, Society of Women Engineers Club, Asian-Pacific Forum Club, Contemporary Cultural Affairs Seminar Club, Corbin Forum, Japanese Forum Club, Korean-American Relations Seminar, Native American Heritage Forum, Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers, Spectrum, and the Vietnamese-American Cadet Association.
Chad Foster, deputy commandant at West Point, signed a memorandum on Tuesday ordering these diversity-based student organizations to be disbanded in alignment with President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders and Department of Defense and Department of Army guidance.
“Effectively immediately, all Directorate of Cadet Activities (DCA) sanctioned clubs listed below are hereby disbanded,” Foster wrote. “This directive cancels all trip sections, meetings, events, and other activities associated with these clubs. Moreover, these clubs are not authorized to continue informal activities using Government time, resources, or facilities.”
Trump’s executive order titled “Restoring America’s Fighting Force” calls to eliminate all race-based and sex-based preferences in the military and the DOD.
The executive order, signed Jan. 27, stated that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the armed forces have undermined “leadership, merit, and unit cohesion, thereby eroding lethality and force readiness.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth followed the order with a Jan. 29 memo that said DEI policies “are incompatible with the values” of the DOD, and on Jan. 31, Hegseth instructed the DOD to end acknowledgment and celebration of “identity months” such as Black History Month and Pride Month.
Acceptance into West Point is highly prestigious and competitive. The service academy selected 1,230 U.S. citizens and 16 international students out of 12,300 applicants for its class of 2028.
While the Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action is no longer allowed, it rejected a challenge to West Point’s race-conscious admissions policies by Students for Fair Admissions last year.
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