In response to Dennis Bourdeau’s June 1 letter, “No color required to be a leader,” about a photo of black female West Point cadets “with fists held high,” it strikes me that the tradition of West Point cadets taking photos of themselves with fellow cadets is a long and hallowed one.
On May 16, the Army Times publication noted that these black female cadets were conducting “an ‘Old Corps’ photo shoot, a tradition where seniors strike serious poses reminiscent of early 19th century cadets who attended the U.S. Military Academy.” The only difference? In the past, these traditional photos only featured white male cadets.
Did anyone reprimand those white male cadets for, in Bourdeau’s words, “think(ing) they are so special that they need to draw attention to themselves?” Did anyone accuse those white male cadets of conducting Old Corps photo shoots “because of color” (whiteness)?
That same Army Times story noted that “an official U.S. military inquiry … determined the women were simply displaying pride in the lead-up to their May 21 graduation.”
