June 09, 2020

The deafening silence of veteran service organizations on Black Lives Matter

By Kayla M. Williams and Lindsay Church

There is a myth in the U.S. military that once you put on the uniform, “We all bleed green.” That is to say, no matter where you’re from or what your background is, as long as you work hard, you will make it to the top. But now, data and statistics are starting to capture what many of us have always known: military service looks different for minority communities, and simply ‘working hard’ won’t undo the systemic racism, homophobia, sexism, and xenophobia at the core of the U.S. military experience.

The recent death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis has once again thrust issues of systemic racism into the national spotlight, leading to widespread justifiable demonstrations in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. A huge number of corporations and nonprofits have made vigorous statements affirming their stances on this issue, including many who have made concrete commitments to examine and improve internal practices through action as opposed to just words.

Read the full article from Task & Purpose.

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