Pentagon directs military to pull library books that address diversity,
anti-racism, gender issues
[May 10, 2025]
By LOLITA C. BALDOR
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has ordered all military leaders and
commands to pull and review all of their library books that address
diversity, anti-racism or gender issues by May 21, according to a memo
issued to the force on Friday.
It is the broadest and most detailed directive so far on Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign to rid the military of diversity and
equity programs, policies and instructional materials. And it follows
similar efforts to remove hundreds of books from the libraries at the
military academies.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the memo, which was signed
Friday by Timothy Dill, who is performing the duties of the defense
undersecretary for personnel.
In addition, Hegseth put out a memo Friday ordering the military
academies to make sure they are admitting students based solely on merit
—- with “no consideration of race, ethnicity, or sex.” He underlined the
word “no,” but added that the schools can consider “unique athletic
talent,” prior military service or those from a military prep school.
He said the secretaries of the services must certify within 30 days that
the admissions offices are adhering to those standards. And he said the
academies must rank student candidates by their “merit-based scores”
within each nomination category.
Those categories include students whose parents are service members or
were troops killed or injured in duty, as well as those nominated by the
vice president, senators or members of Congress.
The memo on the latest library purge says that educational materials at
the libraries “promoting divisive concepts and gender ideology are
incompatible with the Department’s core mission.” It says department
leaders must “promptly identify” books that are not compatible with that
mission and sequester them by May 21.
By then, the memo says, additional guidance will be provided on how to
cull that initial list and determine what should be removed and
“determine an appropriate ultimate disposition” for those materials. It
does not say what will happen to the books or whether they will be
stored away or destroyed.
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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listens during a cabinet meeting
at the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP
Photo/Evan Vucci)
According to the memo, a temporary Academic Libraries Committee set up
by the department will provide information on the review and decisions
about the books. That panel provided a list of search terms to use in
the initial identification of the books to be pulled and reviewed.
The search terms include: affirmative action, anti-racism, critical race
theory, discrimination, diversity, gender dysphoria, gender identity and
transition, transgender, transsexual and white privilege.
Early last month the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, removed
nearly 400 books from its library after being told by Hegseth’s office
to get rid of those that promote DEI.
About two weeks later, the Army and Air Force libraries were told to go
through their stacks to find books related to diversity, equity and
inclusion.
The Naval Academy's purge led to the removal of books on the Holocaust,
histories of feminism, civil rights and racism, and Maya Angelou’s
famous autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," based on the
list of 381 books that have been taken out of its library.
In addition to Angelou’s award-winning book, the list includes
“Memorializing the Holocaust,” which deals with Holocaust memorials;
“Half American,” about African Americans in World War II; “A Respectable
Woman,” about the public roles of African American women in 19th century
New York; and “Pursuing Trayvon Martin,” about the 2012 shooting of the
Black 17-year-old boy in Florida that raised questions about racial
profiling.
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