Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty
An agency at the Pentagon has paused observing Black History Month and Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the behest of President Donald Trump.
According to reports, the Defense Department’s intelligence agency has halted observances of Black History Month, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and other cultural and historical events. The directive, revealed in a leaked memo, is following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) on his first day back in office on Jan. 20. An unnamed official verified the memo’s authenticity.
“We are receiving questions across the workforce on the way forward,” the memo said. “DIA will pause all activities and events related to Agency Special Emphasis Programs effective immediately and until further notice.” The memo calls for a halt of observing 11 events including Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, National American Indian Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Women’s Equality Day, and Women’s History Month.
The source said the change would not affect the holidays being celebrated nationally, and it’s not policy across the Department of Defense. But Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth instructed his staff last Wednesday (Jan. 29) to create a task force to eliminate DEI programs from the Pentagon. “We’re not joking around,” Hegseth said in an interview Wednesday with Fox News when asked about it. “There’s no changing of names or softly manipulating something. DEI is gone.”
The backlash has hit the White House, particularly as Black History Month kicked off Saturday (Feb. 1). White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the controversy Friday (Jan. 31) and tried to downplay it. “As far as I know, this White House certainly still intends to celebrate, and we will continue to celebrate American history and the contributions that all Americans, regardless of race, religion, or creed, have made to our great country,” she said. Trump would then sign a proclamation later that day declaring that Black History Month be observed by “public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities,” although there were no further details on what those programs would be.