The Air Force Academy requires its incoming cadets to watch a diversity and inclusion video supportive of attending a Black Lives Matter chapter meeting. Critics argue this proves military academies have implemented critical race theory as part of their curriculum.
According to an article in the Washington Examiner headlined, “Air Force Academy requires training linked to critical race theory and Black Lives Matter”:
“We are pleased to offer this introductory D&I course as part of our commitment to working with cadets and cadet candidates in fostering a safe community built on mutual respect, teamwork, and personal dignity,” a note from Yvonne L. Roland, the director of Culture, Climate, and Diversity, reads at the onset of the training.
The video follows Jose, a minority student, and three friends, while the instructions tell cadets to “decide how you think his friends should respond.” In the first scenario, two of the white friends pressure Jose to attend a Black Lives Matter rally, while the third later posits that the slogan should be “All Lives Matter,” which was later described as a “really problematic” comment.
“I can confirm this is part of required training for inbound cadets,” Air Force Academy spokesman Dean Miller told the Washington Examiner. “This is the first year this training has been used, and it is used at universities across the country.”
Retired Lt. Gen. Rod Bishop and Dr. Ron Scott, a retired USAF Col., created an organization, Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services, Incorporated, to stop the implementation of critical race theory, which they argue is “simply Marxism repackaged in new terms.”Black Lives Matter as an organization has openly espoused Marxism as part of its stated aims, though the phrase is often used to describe concerns about police shootings in black communities. . . .
In light of the political agenda at the heart of BLM, coupled with the polarizing nature of the organization, perhaps the Air Force Academy should take a more principle-based approach to solving inequality, as opposed to an identity-based model.
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Inside White Fragility 