Report on racism and sexism “worrying” at US military academy Black Lives Matter News

The report on the Virginia Military Institute comes as part of efforts by the U.S. military to eradicate racism and sexual assault.

A renowned U.S. military institute has not tackled racism and institutional sexism, among other things sexual assaults, according to a report released Tuesday, calls on the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) to take responsibility for long-term changes.

145 pages report (1)PDF), At the request of the Barnes & Thornburg independent law firm at the request of the Virginia State Board of Higher Education, states that “racial jokes and jokes are uncommon” and “contribute to an atmosphere of hostility against minorities.”

A white cadet says that other white cadets hear the word n-number “10 times a day by several people, that’s not an exaggeration.”

The report says sexual assaults are prevalent but are not properly targeted at VMI. According to a survey, 14 percent of female cadets reported having been sexually assaulted, while 63 percent said a cadet had been a victim of sexual assault.

The report also noted the “issue of mistrust of the VMI’s ability to effectively investigate sexual assault” as reported by the cadets.

“The racist and misogynistic actions and outcomes found in this study are worrisome,” he noted. “Although VMI has no racist or sexist policies in place, the events reflect a general racist and sexist culture.”

Similar concerns have been raised throughout the U.S. military, and it is trying to get rid of that racist symbols and deals with names and sexual assault from its foundations at its levels. US President Joe Biden has ordered a review of the army’s sexual assault policies in January and has promised to address them. The “evil” of sexual assault in the armed forces.

VMI was founded in 1839 in Lexington, a historic town in the western Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The school educated Generals George Patton and George Marshall. But the organization is also inextricably linked the history of racism in the nation and sexism.

A remarkable Statue of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson, which he taught at school, was not removed until December. The VMI did not accept African Americans until 1968 or accepted women until the 1996 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

The report warns that VMI has begun to make changes, but says the institute will “probably only continue if the promised reforms are forced to do so.”

The findings have led to a lengthy month-long investigation Democratic Governor Ralph Northam and other state officials in The Washington Post reported that black cadets and alumni had been “ruthlessly racist” at the institute.

In a statement, VMI’s first black superintendent, retired U.S. Army General Cedric T Wins, said the school has no place for racism and sexism, and has developed a policy of action after “deep immersions” in school policies.

VMI Superintendent Cedric T Wins leads class 2021 in Lexington, Virginia on May 14 [File: Steve Helber/AP Photo]

Wins said the report’s recommendations will be “evaluated through the VMI mission and our special method of education and, if appropriate, integrated.”

“The institute will move forward and it will be better because of this chapter in our history,” he said.

In anticipation of the release of the report, the VMI issued a statement acknowledging the incidents of racism and said the school “cannot fulfill the role of educating men and women and producing honors if it leaves racism or bias out of control.”

VMI has highlighted its recent efforts to address issues such as the creation in October of a committee focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion. He also said he would soon hire the first senior officer of diversity and create a cultural awareness training program led by cadets.