Pentagon Orders Military Libraries to Remove DEI, Anti-Racism, and Gender Books by May 21

The Pentagon issued an order in May 2026 requiring all U.S. military commands to remove books and resources related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), anti-racism, and gender topics from their libraries by May 21. This directive is the latest in a series of federal actions targeting DEI programs across government agencies, following executive orders issued by the Trump administration. Shareholders at major corporations including Apple, Goldman Sachs, Levi Strauss, and John Deere have pushed back, with anti-DEI shareholder proposals receiving less than 2% support at annual meetings, signaling a divide between government rollbacks and private sector commitment to inclusion.