The Boy Scouts of America, BSA, announced on Monday that it stands with the Black Lives Matter movement and will require all Eagle Scouts to earn a “diversity and inclusion merit badge”.
What We Know:
- In a “Dear Scouting Family” letter released early this week, the organization’s National Executive Committee said, “there is no place for racism – not in Scouting and not in our communities. Racism will not be tolerated”.
- The Texas-based organization used the word “murder” in the letter to condemn the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, whose deaths have sparked rounds of protests around the country. The letter also announced the organization’s continued support and commitment to Black families and the Black community through the Black Lives Matter movement, saying, “this is not a political issue; it is a human rights issue and one we all have a duty to address”.
- BSA announced four steps they plan to take towards the fight of racial injustice, including:
- A diversity and inclusion merit badge that will be required for the rank of Eagle Scout. The badge will build upon components of existing merit badges and will “require Scouts to learn about and engage with other groups and cultures to increase understanding and spur positive action”;
- A thorough review of every element of their programs to ensure diversity and inclusion are ingrained at every level by “applying a standard that promotes racial equality and denounces racism, discrimination, inequality, and injustice”;
- Require diversity and inclusion training for all BSA employees starting on July 1, with plans to expand the same training to volunteers shortly thereafter; and
- “Conducting a review of property names, events, and insignia, in partnership with local councils, to build on and enhance the organization’s nearly 30-year ban on the use of the Confederate flag and to ensure that symbols of oppression are not in use today or in the future”.
- It may come as a surprise to many to hear that BSA, despite their Texas and conservative origin, has had a progressive stance on many issues, including race and sexual orientation. While BSA did not integrate troops until 1974 and many troops continue to be separated along racial lines, the BSA leadership never endorsed segregation or discrimination and actively encouraged Black Americans to join the organization as far back as the 1920s. In 2014, the group angered many of their conservative supporters by lifting its ban on openly gay members and a year later when they allowed openly gay adults to be scout leaders. Additionally, in 2017, the organization allowed openly transgender boys into the ranks for the first time as well as allowing girls to become Cub Scouts.
- This announcement comes a couple of months after BSA filed for bankruptcy protection after mounting legal costs defending themselves against lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of boys.
“These are our next steps but certainly not our last”, the letter concluded. “We will also continue to listen more, learn more and do more to promote a culture in which every person feels that they belong, are respected, and are valued in Scouting, in their community, and across America”.
