Retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins will step down as the first Black superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in June after the school’s Board of Visitors voted against extending his contract on Friday.
In a closed-door meeting, the board voted 10-6 not to extend Wins’ contract. Wins, a VMI alumnus from the class of 1985 and a veteran with over three decades of service in the Army, faced this decision amid growing diversity efforts at the school, which followed a critical state report. However, his efforts to increase diversity were met with resistance from some conservative alumni.
Board President John Adams expressed gratitude for Wins’ leadership during challenging times, acknowledging that the foundation he laid would help VMI continue its mission of educating future leaders.
Virginia Military Institute (VMI), established in 1839 in Lexington, Virginia, is located in the historic Shenandoah Valley. The prestigious institution has educated notable figures, including Generals George Patton and George Marshall. However, VMI did not admit African American students until 1968 and only began accepting women following a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1996.
VMI did not have a Black superintendent until Cedric T. Wins took on the role. His leadership came at a critical time for the school, as it faced a racial reckoning following a state-commissioned report in 2021. The report highlighted significant issues of institutional racism and sexism at VMI, calling for accountability and change.
The findings of the report revealed that racial slurs and jokes were commonplace, fostering an environment hostile to minorities. It also pointed out an outdated reverence for the Civil War and the Confederacy, along with a racial disparity in cadet dismissals by the student-run honor court. Additionally, sexual assault was found to be widespread but often inadequately addressed.
The 2021 report on VMI acknowledged that while the school didn’t enforce explicitly racist or sexist policies, it pointed to a broader culture of racism and sexism. Following the release of the report, Cedric T. Wins, VMI’s first Black superintendent, emphasized the institution’s ongoing efforts to become more inclusive and welcoming. These efforts included removing a statue of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson, who had taught at VMI, and forming a committee to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The school also hired its first chief diversity officer and introduced a cadet-led cultural awareness training program.
While some students and alumni supported these changes, there was also significant opposition. Matt Daniel, a 1985 graduate, was part of a group that criticized the diversity training for promoting racial division and a sense of victimhood. However, he noted that the training had improved in recent months, shifting focus toward real-world social issues that cadets may encounter in their future military or business careers.
Amid these changes, the school’s chief diversity officer resigned, and the office’s name was altered from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion, aligning with the terminology used by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s diversity office in Richmond.
In April, Martin Brown, the chief diversity officer for Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, visited VMI’s campus to lead mandatory training for staff and faculty. During the session, Brown stated that “DEI is dead,” referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, according to reports.
In recent weeks, there has been growing speculation about the future of Cedric T. Wins’ contract at VMI. Democratic State Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy, a VMI alumna, claimed that she was informed the board no longer wanted a Black superintendent. This led to a response from Republican U.S. Representative Ben Cline, who accused Carroll Foy of pressuring VMI Board members by linking funding decisions to the extension of Wins’ contract. Carroll Foy labeled Cline’s accusations as “misinformation” and “a barrage of attacks” on social media.
Following the board’s decision not to extend Wins’ contract, Carroll Foy expressed her disappointment. She criticized the board, which she claimed had been overtaken by “hyper-partisan MAGA Republican appointees” pushing political agendas. Carroll Foy argued that the decision had nothing to do with Wins’ performance or qualifications, but was rather a result of him being unfairly labeled as a “DEI hire.”