Black Veterans Project CEO: Trump Dismantling DEI at DoD Is White Supremacy, Returning to Jim Crow

BROWN We re turning ░░░░░░░░ to the purge at ░░░░░░░░ Pentagon all in the ░░░░░░░░ of President Trump s ░░░░░░░░ on diversity in the ░░░░░░░░ government Our next guest ░░░░░░░░ quote The full throttled ░░░░░░░░ on black leadership dismantling ░░░░░░░░ civil rights protections imposition ░░░░░░░░ unjust anti DEI regulations ░░░░░░░░ unprecedented historical erasure across ░░░░░░░░ Department of Defense is ░░░░░░░░ clear sign of a ░░░░░░░░ Jim Crow being propagated ░░░░░░░░ our commander in chief ░░░░░░░░ us now is Richard ░░░░░░░░ He is the CEO ░░░░░░░░ co founder of the ░░░░░░░░ Veterans Project That is ░░░░░░░░ nonprofit working to eliminate ░░░░░░░░ inequities among uniformed service ░░░░░░░░ Richard those were some ░░░░░░░░ words And earlier we ░░░░░░░░ Congressman James Clyburn also ░░░░░░░░ what the Trump Administration ░░░░░░░░ doing to a return ░░░░░░░░ Jim Crow What do ░░░░░░░░ think the administration s ░░░░░░░░ is here with all ░░░░░░░░ this purging BROOKSHIRE I ░░░░░░░░ what we re experiencing ░░░░░░░░ real time is a ░░░░░░░░ to the fact that ░░░░░░░░ black men were at ░░░░░░░░ highest positions of leadership ░░░░░░░░ the Department of Defense ░░░░░░░░ the Biden Administration there ░░░░░░░░ strong pushback within the ░░░░░░░░ of Defense so it ░░░░░░░░ no surprise that now ░░░░░░░░ the Trump Administration you ░░░░░░░░ seeing a concerted effort ░░░░░░░░ try to undermine black ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ to note that last ░░░░░░░░ was the 75th anniversary ░░░░░░░░ the desegregation of the ░░░░░░░░ forces But in 2017 ░░░░░░░░ was the only time ░░░░░░░░ the DOD had released ░░░░░░░░ internal survey on race ░░░░░░░░ And it said that ░░░░░░░░ one third of black ░░░░░░░░ were experiencing racial discrimination ░░░░░░░░ harassment in service In ░░░░░░░░ Military Times did a ░░░░░░░░ that said that half ░░░░░░░░ minority troops were seeing ░░░░░░░░ driven racism in the ░░░░░░░░ And what we have ░░░░░░░░ being done by this ░░░░░░░░ is a full throttle ░░░░░░░░ that any of that ░░░░░░░░ taken place That any ░░░░░░░░ that is actually continuing ░░░░░░░░ take place And we ░░░░░░░░ that not to be ░░░░░░░░ BROWN So you have ░░░░░░░░ know the removal of ░░░░░░░░ leaders at the DOD ░░░░░░░░ you were talking about ░░░░░░░░ also the pulling down ░░░░░░░░ pages honoring minorities who ░░░░░░░░ war heroes frankly Now ░░░░░░░░ officials contend that this ░░░░░░░░ is about highlighting war ░░░░░░░░ for their patriotism and ░░░░░░░░ dedication to the war ░░░░░░░░ mission rather than their ░░░░░░░░ backgrounds And they say ░░░░░░░░ these DEI policies divide ░░░░░░░░ force erodes unit cohesion ░░░░░░░░ interferes with the service ░░░░░░░░ core war fighting mission ░░░░░░░░ you willing to consider ░░░░░░░░ point of view on ░░░░░░░░ or do you think ░░░░░░░░ re just completely wrong ░░░░░░░░ I think they re ░░░░░░░░ wrong I think history ░░░░░░░░ shown an over reliance ░░░░░░░░ black communities minority communities ░░░░░░░░ America is losing its ░░░░░░░░ And so therefore and ░░░░░░░░ there s also oftentimes ░░░░░░░░ to try to marginalize ░░░░░░░░ troops in the highest ░░░░░░░░ of the military to ░░░░░░░░ marginalize their their existence ░░░░░░░░ specialty training schools to ░░░░░░░░ them opportunity And when ░░░░░░░░ talk about documenting the ░░░░░░░░ and legacy of that ░░░░░░░░ folks are thriving in ░░░░░░░░ of the racism that ░░░░░░░░ been propagated by our ░░░░░░░░ and within the Department ░░░░░░░░ Defense Not and it ░░░░░░░░ important it is it ░░░░░░░░ as important to our ░░░░░░░░ of national fabric our ░░░░░░░░ identity to understand the ░░░░░░░░ in which they had ░░░░░░░░ overcome additional barriers to ░░░░░░░░ able to contribute to ░░░░░░░░ war fighting mission I ░░░░░░░░ that that that that ░░░░░░░░ this misnomer that diversity ░░░░░░░░ and inclusion is a ░░░░░░░░ topic No what s ░░░░░░░░ is the the capitulation ░░░░░░░░ maintenance of a white ░░░░░░░░ structure within the body ░░░░░░░░ the military that our ░░░░░░░░ hasn t wanted to ░░░░░░░░ with in a real ░░░░░░░░ way And now we ░░░░░░░░ a fascist leader coming ░░░░░░░░ and completely dismantling all ░░░░░░░░ the gains that have ░░░░░░░░ made over decades to ░░░░░░░░ to foster some level ░░░░░░░░ equity within the system ░░░░░░░░ Well obviously you have ░░░░░░░░ very strong opinions there ░░░░░░░░ You know the administration ░░░░░░░░ say that this is ░░░░░░░░ is just leveling the ░░░░░░░░ field When you talk ░░░░░░░░ the white supremacy structure ░░░░░░░░ tell us specifically what ░░░░░░░░ mean by that BROOKSHIRE ░░░░░░░░ mean like I said ░░░░░░░░ when you have internal ░░░░░░░░ coming from the Department ░░░░░░░░ Defense and they ve ░░░░░░░░ wanted to release the ░░░░░░░░ based survey that they ░░░░░░░░ every two years they ░░░░░░░░ released it one time ░░░░░░░░ 2017 and it said ░░░░░░░░ a full one third ░░░░░░░░ black service members were ░░░░░░░░ discrimination in the ranks ░░░░░░░░ are now actively dismantling ░░░░░░░░ only mechanism put in ░░░░░░░░ under the EEO the ░░░░░░░░ Employment Opportunity Provisions where ░░░░░░░░ might find a chance ░░░░░░░░ be able to adjudicate ░░░░░░░░ claims of racial discrimination ░░░░░░░░ is something that this ░░░░░░░░ is choosing to do ░░░░░░░░ Before we let you ░░░░░░░░ is there anything else ░░░░░░░░ want to add BROOKSHIRE ░░░░░░░░ think that we are ░░░░░░░░ a nexus point a ░░░░░░░░ point in this country ░░░░░░░░ think the military is ░░░░░░░░ where we see just ░░░░░░░░ the military was one ░░░░░░░░ the first institutions to ░░░░░░░░ I think that is ░░░░░░░░ going to be the ░░░░░░░░ place that there s ░░░░░░░░ reason why black vets ░░░░░░░░ service members are on ░░░░░░░░ front lines of these ░░░░░░░░ It is because the ░░░░░░░░ has always been used ░░░░░░░░ a mechanism for what ░░░░░░░░ ultimately happen in our ░░░░░░░░ And if we don ░░░░░░░░ take credence to what ░░░░░░░░ happening now within the ░░░░░░░░ of Defense and the ░░░░░░░░ that they re taking ░░░░░░░░ the inception of this ░░░░░░░░ we are in for ░░░░░░░░ serious amount of trouble ░░░░░░░░ a new Jim Crow ░░░░░░░░ certainly within the realm ░░░░░░░░ possibility BROWN Richard Brookshire ░░░░░░░░ you for sharing your ░░░░░░░░ viewpoint on this story ░░░░░░░░ appreciate your time.”