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A recent directive from a senior Army official requires the removal of certain books from Army libraries, including West Point, which are deemed to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), gender ideology, and critical race theory in a way that undermines meritocracy and unity. This information was disclosed in a memo issued by Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army, Derrick Anderson. The memo, which has been confirmed by NPR, mandates that the list of books be submitted to the Army’s chief librarian by April 16th, and is dated April 9th.
The communication reached various Army organizations including the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and the Army War College.
In response to the memo, West Point spokesman Col. Terence Kelley stated that the institution is carrying out the review with diligence. However, adjustments to the initial directive have surfaced; rather than removing books outright, Army libraries are currently instructed to “flag” them for review, pending a final determination by senior Army leadership. As of now, no books have been removed from the West Point library, and this “flagging” order applies across all Army libraries.
This initiative follows similar actions taken by the U.S. Naval Academy, which recently removed nearly 400 books from its Nimitz Library based on concerns raised by officials from the Trump Administration. Notable titles removed included classics such as Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and other works covering topics related to race, systemic issues, and historical perspectives on groups like the Ku Klux Klan.
Only five days prior to the Army’s memo, two congressional representatives expressed their serious concerns regarding the book removals at the Naval Academy in correspondence directed to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. Rep. Adam Smith and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan urged for clarity on whether similar actions were being planned at West Point, describing the potential book bans as akin to the censorship witnessed during the McCarthy era.
A further appeal concerning book removals was sent to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has been vocal about removing DEI-related materials from the Pentagon. In a town hall meeting earlier this year, he disparaged the phrase “diversity is our strength,” labeling it as profoundly misguided within a military context.
Legal advocacy groups have also weighed in on the situation. In a letter addressed to Hegseth and the Naval Academy’s superintendent Yvette M. Davids, Jin Hee Lee and Jennifer C. Pizer criticized the Naval Academy’s decision as unconstitutional censorship of ideas that are politically unpopular, particularly those representing Black and LGBTQ voices. They argued that such actions threaten the foundational principles of a democracy and are detrimental in an educational environment that should encourage intellectual diversity and robust critical inquiry.
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