The military helped Black Americans find belonging. Pete Hegseth wants to reverse course [View all]

The military helped Black Americans find belonging. Pete Hegseth wants to reverse course
The military has been a powerful force for social progress in the US. Under Trump, it is being used to undo it

By Chauncey DeVega
Senior Writer
Published June 22, 2026 6:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has tattoos all over his body — including a Jerusalem cross and the phrase Deus Vult (“God wills it”). Tattoos tell us a story about a person’s life and beliefs.

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Hegseth now oversees the United States military — one of the largest and most diverse organizations in the country, if not the world. He has made it his personal crusade to restore “warrior culture” by stomping out “woke” values, “diversity,” “DEI,” and “political correctness” in the military.

What Hegseth is really eradicating is the principle that the military should reflect and serve all Americans. His “warrior culture” is a mask for a 21st-century Jim Crow — one that uses colorblind language like “merit” and “fairness” to do the work of racism and other forms of prejudice, bigotry and intolerance.

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Hegseth has called the phrase “diversity is our strength” the “single dumbest phrase in military history.” Black History Month and other celebrations of America’s racial and ethnic diversity are, in his vision, dead.

Hegseth has been accused of advancing a militant version of White Christian nationalism and is working to infuse its values throughout the military. He has repeatedly framed America’s war against Iran—a Muslim nation—as a holy war and religious crusade. ...................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/06/22/the-military-helped-black-americans-find-belonging-pete-hegseth-wants-to-reverse-course/