Looks like the U.S. Army had a change of heart.
Following reports that the use of the term “negro” was deemed acceptable when referring to African-American or black service members in regulation AR 600-20, the military branch removed the word from its command policy.
The change happened just 24 hours after the word was discovered.
From Think Progress:
The Army Command Policy issued on October 22 said that “Negro” was an acceptable term to describe troops, under its race and ethnic code definition section. The document stated that “‘Haitian’ or ‘Negro’ can be used in addition to ‘Black” or ‘African American.’” It is unclear how long the word was included in the document.
A new version of the command policy released on Wednesday took out the word altogether.
On Thursday, Army spokeswoman and Lt. Col. Alayne Conway said in an official statement, “The U.S. Army fully recognized, and promptly acted, to remove outdated language in Army Regulation 600-20 as soon as it was brought to our attention. The Army takes pride in sustaining a culture where all personnel are treated with dignity and respect.” The statement also alleges that the definitions were included in an attempt to “provide (equal opportunity) and fair treatment for military personnel and family members without regard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, and provide an environment free of unlawful discrimination and offensive behavior.”
We just want to know who is getting fired for that definition? For more on the regulation, click here.
SOURCE: Think Progress | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
