Army Diversity Training Features Slide About ‘White Privilege’

Army soldiers at Fort Gordon, GA, were inappropriately shown a slide about “white privilege” during a diversity training briefing, according to an Army spokeswoman.

Army spokeswoman Capt. Lindsay Roman said that Army officials are investigating the Equal Opportunity (EO) briefing, USA Today reports.

The slide, which contains bullet points about “white privilege,” is titled “The Luxury of Obliviousness.”

“Race privilege gives whites little reason to pay a lot of attention to African Americans or to how white privilege affects them. ‘To be white in America means not having to think about it,’” states one item.

Capt. Roman claimed that the presentation, which took place on Thursday, was not authorized and is not part of the standard Army briefings that are typically shown to soldiers.

“The unit (Equal Opportunity) instructor deviated from the authorized topic and content which was provided,” said the Army spokeswoman. “To prevent further instances, all unit instructors will receive additional training on the importance of following Army EO training requirements.”

“We are committed to equal opportunity by all members of the unit. The Army reflects the diversity of American society. We are all members of one team,” she added.

Nearly 400 soldiers of the Army’s 67th Signal Battalion attended the briefing, according to the report.

A picture of the slide was posted on a Facebook page and generated a barrage of negative comments, notes USA Today. 

“The Army has struggled with diversity in its ranks for decades. It is of particular concern among the service’s top leadership,” adds the article. “Last year, [USA Today] reported the command of the Army’s main combat units had only a few black officers. Less than 10% of the active-duty Army’s officers are black compared with 18% of its enlisted soldiers, according to the Army.”

According to Army spokesman Wayne Hall, the slide appears to reflect the work of Allan Johnson, a sociologist and author.

Follow Edwin Mora on Twitter: @EdwinMora83.