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1h ·A U.S. military recruiting agency recently pulled out of a major engineering event for reasons that have many questioning what’s really happening behind the scenes.
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‘Blacks Need Not Apply’: U.S. Military’s ‘Racist’ Decision to Stop Recruiting Service Members from Black Engineering Event Draws Backlash
Posted byBy Yasmeen F. | Published on: February 12, 2025 CommentsComments (0)As President Donald Trump’s administration continues to scour federal agencies of all DEI programs and initiatives, a U.S. military recruiting agency recently announced that it will no longer recruit potential service members from a renowned Black engineering event.
On Monday, Military.com reported that the Army and other service branches will end their enlistment efforts at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards, an annual event that invites students, academics, and professionals with expertise in science, technology, engineering, and math.
“In compliance with Department of Defense and Headquarters Department of the Army guidance, U.S. Army Recruiting Command will not participate in the upcoming BEYA event,” Madison Bonzo, a service spokesperson, told Military.com. “Service members and civilians are permitted to attend this event in an unofficial/personal capacity if they choose to do so.”
This comes just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo ordering all department agencies to abolish diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and offices to prepare to adopt new “merit-based, color-blind policies.” Shortly after, he announced that the Department of Defense will no longer celebrate and observe heritage and identity recognition months like Black History Month and Women’s History Month.
The BEYA event, based in Baltimore, has served as an essential channel for the Pentagon to access highly skilled STEM talent, award Reserve Officers’ Training Corps scholarships, and pitch military service to rising engineers. The Army Recruiting Command boasted a long-standing partnership with the event, and several past BEYA events have included the Army chief of staff and other senior military leaders.
Two defense officials signaled that the branch would likely abandon other recruiting events tied to specific racial groups.
The decision has drawn intense backlash from Army leadership and some recruiters have indicated that it’s a problematic escalation in the federal government’s efforts to scrub diversity initiatives.
One Army recruiter said BEYA “has always been significant” for the branch and is “one of the most talent-dense events we do.”
“It’s f—ing racist,” one active-duty U.S. Army general stated. “For the Army now, it’s ‘Blacks need not apply,’ and it breaks my heart.”
The Navy, Air Force, and Space Force have also withdrawn participation from the event and prohibited their officials from attending in an official capacity or in uniform. There’s no word on whether the Marines have also pulled out.
According to data from Military.com, Black applicants made up more than 24 percent of the Army’s new enlistments in 2022.
In a recent address to Pentagon staff, Hegseth said, “I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is, ‘Our diversity is our strength.’ I think our strength is our unity. Our strength is our shared purpose, regardless of our background, regardless of how we grew up, regardless of our gender, regardless of our race. In this department, we will treat everyone equally.”
“In this department, we will treat everyone equally,” he added. “We will treat everyone with fairness. We will treat everyone with respect. And we will judge you as an individual by your merit and by your commitment to the team and the mission.”
