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Army cadets pose with raised fists, spark inquiry

 
Is it a Black Lives Matter salute? Or a sign of unity in accomplishment?
Is it a Black Lives Matter salute? Or a sign of unity in accomplishment?
Published May 10, 2016

The photo shows 16 black women. They are posed at the U.S. Military Academy, all pictured in cadet dress uniforms. And their fists are in the air.

What did that photo really capture, though? Was it a simple sign of solidarity? Or were the gestures made in support of a movement or political stance?

The question is now up for debate — both online and at West Point.

In a report last week, Army Times noted the image had "been shared widely in military circles, with claims the women are supporting the Black Lives Matter movement." As the suggestion arose, however, others said the picture displayed something else entirely.

"It was a sign of unity," Mary Tobin, a 2003 West Point graduate, told the Associated Press. "They weren't trying to imply any allegiance to any movement."

Tobin also told the New York Times: "That fist to them meant you and your sisters did what only a few people, male or female, have ever done in this country."

Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker, director of U.S. Military Academy public affairs, said in a statement that an inquiry into the matter was ongoing; the statement also confirmed the cadets are members of the academy's class of 2016.

Army Times said "several readers" sent the picture to the publication, raising questions about whether the cadets were in violation of a Department of Defense directive about political activities.

"The fact that it could offend someone by its usage qualifies it as a symbol that goes against Army policies," John Burk, an Iraq veteran and blogger, told the New York Times. "It's not the fact that they are wrong for having their beliefs; it's the fact they did it while in uniform."

Brenda Sue Fulton, a 1980 West Point graduate, posted a similar photo of the group to Twitter in late April; she told the Washington Post that the style of the picture was a "long-held tradition" at West Point, in which "different teams and groups get together on their own to mimic the high-collar, ultra-serious photos of 19th century cadets."