At the United States Military Academy at West Point, a group of 16 young black women dressed in uniform took a traditional “Old Corps” group photo, but their pose spurred a heated debate. They raised their fists—a gesture that has never been a part of historic West Point photos.
The photo was posted on social media and immediately receieved criticism, according to The New York Times. Some people took their gesture as a sign of alliance with the Black Lives Matter movement. While at most schools this wouldn’t be a big deal, at West Point, it’s forbidden to show any sign of your politics while in uniform.
The academy opened an investigation on April 28 to see if the women violated Army rules that prohibit partisanship.
It’s not known that the women were intentionally showing their support for Black Lives Matter. Some believe that they were simply standing in solidarity as sisters and soon-to-be graduates of the U.S. military academy.
West Point is largely made up of white men. Black women are only 1.7 percent of the graduating class. So, it makes sense that this photo could be seen as a political statement responding to the underlying tension around race and gender at the academy.
The Times reports that people who spoke to the cadets said that protest was not their intention, and that their raised fists simply symbolized pride and strength.
Should women who were raising their fists to channel Beyonce’s “Girls run the world” attitude be punished just because some people believe it to be a sign of allegiance to the Black Lives Matter movement?