In shadow of DEI order, Columbus honors Black Americans
The memo declared all 'cultural awareness months' including Black History Month, would no longer be sanctioned using Department of Defense resources including time and money. The reasoning for the ban on 'identity months' was given as, 'Efforts to divide the force – to put one group ahead of another – erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution.'
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Meanwhile, the City of Columbus celebrated Black History Month with the City Council hosting the annual celebration and James Preston Poindexter Awards Tuesday night in front of a packed council chambers.
'It's really important for us to think about the past and honor the past as we think about how we're going to move forward as a together, as a community in the future. When we see things that are not of our values happening at the federal level, it is even more of a reason to double down on our values here at home. And who are we in Columbus? We are folks who honor and celebrate our rich history. We know that African American history is Columbus history,' Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin said.
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing February as Black History Month. He signed similar proclamations during each year of his first term from 2017-2020.
'Our president cares deeply about the African American population in our country. He received more votes from the minority community than any Republican president in the history of this country,' said Republican strategist and licensed attorney Mike Gonidakis. 'What we're seeing, though, is, Americans gravitating to the idea that DEI, diversity, equity and inclusion programs — not those words, but those programs — have been prostituted and polluted to do just the opposite of what they claim to do.'
Gonidakis is referring to the Executive Order from President Trump on Jan. 20. The latest memo removes any 'observance' of identity-based holidays including Juneteenth, Pride Month, and Black History Month from the Department of Defense.
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'The Department of Defense put out a memo saying that they're not going to use taxpayer dollars anymore on identity months, and they listed a whole handful of them. But make no mistake, Black History Month is alive and well. It should be celebrated by all Americans. Not just here in Columbus, but Ohio and all 49 other states for the contributions African Americans have made. Regardless if you're a Democrat or Republican, honoring Black History Month is the right thing to do,' Gonidakis said.
But, Gonidakis said, 'This is just one federal agency that's done it. This case, the Department of Defense. And they said specifically like, look, we need to have a unified military that has each other's backs. So when we're fighting the enemy, we are a unified military, a unified nation. That's why they did that. But the other federal agencies didn't do that. It's only one agency, the Department of Defense. President Trump is celebrating Black History Month and all the other countless federal agencies, as they exist right now, are still celebrating. That is just one agency which is unique, defending our lives and our freedoms every day thought that it would go in a different direction.'
The move at the Pentagon has been linked to Trump's pushback on DEI issues.
'What DEI does, unfortunately, in its current form, is judges people by the color of their skin. We shouldn't have that. We should be judging them by their performance, the content of their character as MLK said,' Gonidakis said.
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Hardin said Tuesday that no matter what the federal government is doing, the local government will continue to pursue its mission for the City of Columbus.
'I think what is going to be very important. However, what we have seen over the last couple of weeks, and I think for the next several years, is that Columbus values shine bright. When there is darkness, only light can push back on that. And I think that's what Columbus is. That's what we are. We need to inspire the next, generation of leaders and let them know that they are African Americans, that they now stand on their shoulders, and that they can use that to spring forward. So, remembering our history is critically important,' Hardin said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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