Code Switch

The Scouts are too woke, according to Pete Hegseth

Mar 18, 2026
Benjamin Rene Jordan, historian and author of Modern Manhood and the Boy Scouts of America, discusses Scouting's surprising progressive roots. He traces its rise in early 20th-century America, explains how it promoted inclusion and resisted militarization, and unpacks why it became a political target in recent debates.
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ANECDOTE

Pete Hegseth Put Scouting America On Notice

  • Pete Hegseth publicly condemned Scouting America for being "gravely wounded" by DEI and ordered compliance or loss of Defense Department support.
  • Hegseth singled out admitting girls, DEI language, and transgender inclusion and gave the organization six months to comply.
INSIGHT

Scouting Filled A Modernization Gap

  • Scouting rose by filling a cultural gap created by rapid modernization and the new concept of adolescence.
  • Jordan explains Scouts gave outdoor skills, community engagement and civic training that parents and schools weren't providing in the 1910s–1920s.
INSIGHT

Scouts Were Early Proactive DEI Champions

  • The Boy Scouts historically practiced inclusion on race, religion, and ethnicity far earlier than many expect.
  • Benjamin Rene Jordan says Scouts proactively welcomed African-Americans, Jews, Catholics and immigrants in the 1910s–1930s as part of a progressive civic mission.
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