Diversity, equity, and inclusion, otherwise known as DEI, has been widely debated and not always understood.
Some people believe DEI initiatives are used to exclude anyone who is not considered a minority, such as white people, men, straight people, and so on from job positions. But this is not what these policies are supposed to do.
From Merriam-Webster dictionary, diversity, equity and inclusion is “a set of values and related policies and practices focused on establishing a group culture of equitable and inclusive treatment and on attracting and retaining a diverse group of participants, including people who have historically been excluded or discriminated against.”
Gabby Pinto, a senior communication student, said, “I think part of the misconception is that it’s some type of quota system. However, all DEI was doing was allowing everyone, no matter the background, to have an equal opportunity to get into an organization or workplace.”
After being sworn into office, Pres. Donald Trump ordered a halt and termination of all DEI programs within the federal government. This prompted organizations such as the Air Force to pull basic military training classes that included diversity materials for new recruits. Some of the lessons that were to be eliminated included the history of the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs. The order also affected the Air Force’s barrier analysis working groups that worked to expand opportunities for underrepresented groups to reach their goals in the organization.
The Tuskegee Airmen, otherwise referred to as the Red Tails, was the first African American unit of pilots in the U.S. Air Force in 1941. They were a segregated unit of only black men trained using single-engine planes in Tuskegee, Ala., and led by Lt.Col, Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr. The unit worked through discrimination and segregation to carry out strafing attacks and other missions in the European theater. They became one of the Air Force’s most decorated and successful escort groups of the time.
WASPs also faced discrimination based on their gender, as women were not considered for pilot roles in the military until 1942. Nancy Harkness Love and Jackie Cochran paved the way for the creation and success of the group. Love lobbied for the creation of a program that allowed women to fly warplanes from factories to air bases , while Cochran demonstrated how easily it could be done while gathering a team of determined female pilots. More than 60 million miles of air travel were logged under the WASP program used for transportation, training, and testing.
This elimination created an uproar online, and Tuskegee Airmen Inc., a nonprofit organization that works to preserve the legacy of the Airmen, was among the first to speak out, and said, “The service and sacrifice of the Tuskegee Airmen and the WASPs… are an essential part of American history and carried significant weight in the World War II veteran community. We believe the content of these courses does not promote one category of service member/ or citizen over another. They are simply a part of American military history that all service members should be made aware of.” Alabama Sen.Katie Britt weighed in on X, and called the Air Force’s decision “malicious compliance” before voicing her confidence that new Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth would correct the decision, to which Hegseth agreed.
Since then, Pres. Trump’s Chief of Staff General David W. Alvin has addressed what he referred to as “rumors,” and said that neither the Tuskegee Airmen nor the WASPs have been removed from lessons, and that the administration is strictly reviewing training courses to make sure they align with executive orders Trump has signed.
