Boy Scouts Support BLM
The Claim
The Boy Scouts are supporting Black Lives Matter and requiring a diversity badge.
News posted on
Emerging story
On June 15, 2020, the Boy Scouts posted on Twitter, “As Scouts, we must always stand for what is right and take action when the situation demands it,” and linked to an article about BSA’s commitment to act against racial injustice.
Misbar’s Analysis
Responses to the tweet ranged from supportive to vitriolic. Twitter user @jkTAP26 wrote, “Good for you BSA. This was not a requirement when I made Eagle Scout. This is a positive step forward”; alternatively, user @ChambersNGaming tweeted, “After 4 generations, I am pulling my children from the BSA. Their recent support for the Black Lives Matter organization is in violation of my Catholic values. BLM supports abortion, undoing the nuclear family, legalizing prostitution, defunding the police, etc.”
But does the statement actually support Black Lives Matter?
In the statement, the Boy Scouts of America said that they will require Eagle Scouts to earn a diversity and inclusion badge. The badge will ask scouts to “engage with other groups and cultures." The organization also condemned the deaths of several black people at the hands of police officers, calling them “murders.” It said that it “has not been as brave as we should have been" regarding helping end racism.
The statement said: “The Boy Scouts of America stands with Black families and the Black community because we believe that Black Lives Matter. This is not a political issue; it is a human rights issue and one we all have a duty to address… 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.”
