Pentagon Pauses Black History Month, Juneteenth, Pride, and Other Observances After Trump’s DEI Ban

Following Trump’s executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has paused all special events related to heritage and cultural observances, including Black History Month, Juneteenth, Pride Month, and Holocaust Remembrance Days, according to a memo obtained by ABC News.

The memo, dated , outlines the suspension of multiple annual observances, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Women’s History Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Despite being included in the list of paused programs, the memo clarifies that Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth will remain federal holidays.

{snip}

The decision comes just days before Black History Month, which begins on February 1. The order also affects Agency Resource Groups, Affinity Groups, and Employee Networking Groups, which have been paused “effective immediately and until further notice.”

Trump’s executive orders have aimed to dismantle DEI initiatives, with the White House arguing that these programs “create and then amplify prejudicial hostility and exacerbate interpersonal conflict.”

{snip}

With the Pentagon’s intelligence branch now enforcing these new policies, it remains to be seen how other federal agencies and military branches will respond to the broader rollback of DEI initiatives under the Trump administration.

* Original Article:

Pentagon Pauses Black History Month, Juneteenth, Pride, and Other Observances After Trump’s DEI Ban