The US air force on Sunday said it would resume instruction of trainees using a video about the first Black airmen in the nation’s military, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, which has passed review to ensure compliance with the ban on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that Donald Trump imposed early in his second presidency.
Trump, who retook office on 20 January, has prohibited DEI throughout the US government and military. Pete Hegseth, the new defense secretary, who was sworn in on Friday, has made eliminating DEI from the military a top priority.
Reuters reported on Saturday that the video about the Tuskegee Airmen as well as another about civilian female pilots trained by the US military during the second world war, known as Women Air Force Service Pilots (or WASPs), were not being taught in basic training at the San Antonio-Lackland base in Texas pending a review.
The move was first reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
The Air Force on Sunday said both videos will be taught.
“No [military members] will miss this block of instruction due to the revision, however one group of trainees had the training delayed,” said Lt Gen Brian Robinson, who leads the air education and training command in a statement.
The Tuskegee Airmen included 450 pilots who fought overseas in segregated units during the second world war. Their success in combat helped pave the way for Harry Truman’s decision to desegregate the armed forces in 1948.
DEI programs seek to promote opportunities for women, ethnic minorities and other traditionally underrepresented groups. Civil rights advocates argue such programs, generally backed by Democrats, are needed to address longstanding inequities and structural racism.
They have come under attack from conservatives, who say race- and gender-focused initiatives are inherently discriminatory and fail to prioritize merit.