The few black women cadets at West Point are being investigated for political activity banned by the military — after making a gesture with a long and storied history.
There are just 17 black women in this year's graduating class at West Point — a tiny percentage. All but one posed for a picture at the Academy's oldest barracks in traditional gray dress uniforms complete with crossed sabers. But that's not all. All 16 raised their clenched fists. For that, they're being investigated for possibly violating the military rule against political activity while in uniform. Eugene Fidell, who teaches military justice at Yale Law School, questions the need for the investigation.