Trump’s anti-DEI order pulls out air force video on first black pilots

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump’s order halting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has led the air force to suspend course instruction on a documentary about the first black airmen in the US military, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, a US official said on Jan 25.

The famed black aviators included 450 pilots who fought overseas in segregated units during World War II. Their success in combat helped pave the way for president Harry Truman’s decision to desegregate the armed forces in 1948.

Another video about civilian women pilots trained by the US military during World War II, known as “Women Air Force Service Pilots”, or Wasps, was also pulled out, the official said.

The air force did not directly comment on the decision, which was confirmed by an official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Mr Trump has issued a series of executive orders

seeking to dismantle DEI programmes

since he took office on Jan 20.

These programmes seek to promote opportunities for women, ethnic minorities and other traditionally under-represented groups. Civil rights advocates argue such programmes, generally backed by Democrats, are needed to address longstanding inequities and structural racism.

But they have become a rally cry for conservatives who argue that race- and gender-focused initiatives are inherently discriminatory and fail to prioritise merit.

Reuters reported on Jan 24 that new Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has told lawmakers

he opposes the use of race as a factor

when evaluating candidates for elite US military academies.

Mr Trump’s administration and its backers in Congress argue that the US military needs also to be purged of generals who support DEI initiatives, which they say are a distraction to war fighting.

The US official said the video on the Tuskegee Airmen and other historical materials had been pulled as the air force conducts a review of course curriculum at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, where new recruits get basic training.

The official stressed that the videos were not specifically targeted but were part of the curriculum that has been suspended pending review.

For its part, the US Air Force said in a statement that it is committed to carrying out Mr Trump’s orders.

“The Department of the Air Force will fully execute and implement all directives outlined in the executive orders issued by the President, ensuring that they are carried out with utmost professionalism, efficiency and in alignment with national security objectives,” an air force spokesperson said. REUTERS