The ongoing culture war at Virginia Military Institute, the nation's oldest senior military college, has become a source of tension between two rivaling factions — both established VMI alums and former classmates, one of whom serves as the school's first Black superintendent in history.
According to The Washington Post, retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, 59, VMI's first Black superintendent, and Matt Daniel, 60, a white former U.S. Marine who founded a PAC dubbed "Spirit of VMI," have been verbally — and digitally — sparring about VMI's diversity mandates.
In December 2020, Wins publicly defended the removal of the Stonewall Jackson statue from campus.
"VMI does not define itself by this statue and that is why this move is appropriate," Wins said at the time. "Though change can sometimes be difficult, it is time for our beloved institution to move forward, to strengthen our unique system of education and training, and grow the leaders of tomorrow."
In June 2021, Wins was tasked with handling a directive from then-Virginia Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam in terms of investigating all forms of "relentless racism" on campus.
Soon thereafter, Wins reportedly oversaw reforms such as the removal of Confederate emblems from campus and hiring consultants on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
That prompted Daniel to counter Wins' efforts, launching ads and touting the content from websites that demanded VMI officials "reject the woke assault on VMI, close ranks.
"We stand for a strong VMI with a proud history and a bright future."
The Spirit PAC disputed Wins' decision to award himself a reported $100,000 bonus, on top of his $656,000 annual salary, after VMI incurred a 25% drop in freshman enrollment.
The Spirit of VMI PAC also questioned VMI's diversity policies on a grander scale.
"Often described broadly as a form of political correctness, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a Marxist doctrine at the center of the malignancy of identity politics," the PAC said earlier this month in a statement.
"Akin to a pervasive cancer that seemingly overnight has metastasized across the country, DEI sows division, destruction, and discord where ever it has been allowed to fester," the statement added.
Two years ago, an independent law firm issued its findings of the VMI probe.
One of the primary observations: "Racial slurs and jokes are not uncommon" at VMI.
Founded in 1839, VMI became a key resource of Confederate soldiers and officers during the Civil War. The first Black cadet was admitted in 1968, and the first woman cadet garnered entry in 1997.
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