The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has announced a pause in the observance of various cultural and historical annual events, including Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month, The Associated Press reports.
This decision comes in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in federal workplaces.
The directive, outlined in a memo obtained by the news agency, affects at least 11 annual observances. These include Black History Month, which begins this Saturday, National Hispanic Heritage Month, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month, among others.
A US official confirmed the authenticity of the memo but noted that the pause appears to be specific to the DIA and is not necessarily representative of policy across the entire Defense Department.
“We are receiving questions across the workforce on the way forward,”the DIA said in the memo and announced an immediate pause on all activities related to Agency Special Emphasis Programs until further notice.
The memo clarified that while observances like Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth are included in the pause, this change will not impact the recognition of these national holidays.
The contents of the memo were first reported by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein, who shared the information on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Federal agencies have faced challenges interpreting Trump’s January 20 executive order, which ended DEI programs.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was questioned about whether Black History Month would cease to be celebrated, though she did not provide a definitive answer.
In response to the situation, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the establishment of a DEI task force at the Pentagon to ensure that no DEI programs remain in place. This shift mirrors the recent actions taken by the Air Force, which faced backlash after eliminating DEI coursework in basic military training, temporarily removing videos on the historical contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen and female pilots of World War II. Following public outcry, the Air Force confirmed that the histories of these groups would still be included in training materials.
