Do you believe that these West Point first classman are violating the UCMJ by making a political statement while in uniform?
-A member of the Armed Forces on active duty may:
4.1.1.3. Join a partisan or nonpartisan political club and attend its meetings when NOT in uniform, subject to the restrictions of subparagraph 4.1.2.4. (See DoD Instruction 1334.1 (Reference (c).)
From the article "Racism Within West Point"
http://www.inthearenafitness.com/index.php/racism-within-west-point
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/2016/05/04/army-investigating-if-these-west-point-cadets-making-political-statement-uniform/83950452/#_=_
CPT Ahmed Faried , SN Greg Wright , COL Charles Williams , Capt Tom Brown , Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen , 2LT (Join to see) , SFC Victor Serrano , MSgt Daniel Harrison , SFC Jim Ruether , SGT Bryon Sergent , SGT James Colbert , CPT (Join to see) , SFC David Pratt , CAPT Kevin B. SSgt Jim Gilmore , SFC (Join to see) , CPT (Anonymous) , LTC (Join to see) , MAJ Carl Ballinger , MSgt Daniel Harrison
MTF

Army investigates: Are these West Point cadets making a political statement in uniform?
West Point is investigating a photo that shows 16 black female cadets in uniform displaying raised fists outside a U.S. Military Academy barracks.
This is about a group of soldiers making a political statement in uniform. The uniform shouldn't be used to endorse any political actions or groups. You can promote heritage in uniform as we do already in the military. This is linked to the most recent events with Blacklivesmatter and the black panthers. This would be the same as having a Republican sign.
Also, your logic that you can claim to have pride in any area you want is flawed. The next time have your soldiers you should gather all the white males and take a picture with a sign that said "White Pride." If pride is pride you would be fine. But that is also inappropriate.
You need to view it from others perspectives instead of trying to champion some cause that shouldn't factor into how we perform our duties.

West Point names barracks for black graduate who was shunned | RallyPoint
From: Air Force Times WEST POINT, N.Y. — Benjamin O. Davis Jr. entered West Point in 1932 as its only black cadet and spent the next four years shunned. He roomed alone, and no one befriended him. The future Tuskegee Airman and trailblazing Air Force general later said he was "an invisible man." Now, more than a decade after his death, the academy that allowed Davis to be ostracized is honoring him. A new cadet barracks being constructed among...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRwK_XVfm0I

These women are clearly incapable of leading if they cannot keep their political beliefs to themselves while in uniform. Discharge them, collect their money, and allow them to graduate from a lesser school.
http://lelav.blogspot.com/2016/05/having-black-unity-and-pride-as-black.html
1)My favorite line is that they are above rebuke by anyone who does not believe in what they are doing, effectively dismissing all criticism. Must be nice to live in that subsidized bubble of ignorance. I guess I am not allowed to interpret the pumped fist sign of "resistance in the face of violence." That's a good thing because "WHAT VIOLENCE?" would be my first question. The violence perpetuated by BLM about not receiving enough free things from the government? Or are you talking about the violence perpetuated by BLM based in proven false accusations of white police based in racism.
2) I am sorry USMA is the most difficult thing you did with you life. I truly hope that there is a wider breadth of experience awaiting you.
3) The fact that HBCUs exist is racism against other groups.
4) A swastika was originally a sign of favor in ancient communities. It's not socially acceptable to be flashing that around so the justification for the black panther fist doesn't fly either.
5) When I was at USMA, Protestors gutted and set on fire one of my classmates family's business.
6) It is not "being too black" to have a autobiography of a prior senator in your barracks room. I can think of 19.3 trillion other reasons why that is a bad choice though.
Here's some stats.
-15% of the population commits 70% of the crime
-1/3 black men go to prison for committing a crime
-AA Women are 300% more likely to commit a crime that a white woman
-Black married couples have a poverty rate in the single digits which is comparable to whites.
-the single motherhood rate in the black community has climbed to 72 percent in the last 40 years. Is America more Racist now than during the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement?
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/417899/it-isnt-legacy-slavery-caused-social-breakdown-ghetto-communities-thomas-sowell
I am going to get off here before the FBI shows up at my door. If my parking pass gets revoked I will update haha (I think that's funny, sorry)

The Inconvenient Truth about Ghetto Communities’ Social Breakdown
Among the many painful ironies in the current racial turmoil is that communities scattered across the country were disrupted by riots and looting because of the demonstrable lie that Michael Brown was shot in the back by a white policeman in Missouri — but there was not nearly as much turmoil created by the demonstrable fact that a fleeing black man was shot dead by a white policeman in South Carolina.#ad#Totally ignored was the fact that a...
I am SICK to death of hearing white males howl about being butt-hurt and offended when I do the same thing I am being "over sensitive"
Whine all you want fellas, but it (hopefully) will not change a single thing.
I am not even black, but my arm is creeping up now trying to give a fist salute. It is making it difficult to TYPE!!!!! SOMEBODY HELP ME SO I DONT BECOME RACIST AGAINST WHITE PEOPLE!!!!
The Niggers Bible - Chris Rock Black People VS. Niggers
http://theniggersbible.com/shop.html Comedy King Chris Rock Breaking down the Stereotypes
This is offensive to folks for what reason? Not to mention if it doesn't affect you personally or isn't directed towards you why let it bother you? This is one of the main reasons we have the issues that we do in our great nation

http://www.westpoint.edu/news/Shared%20Documents/Supt%20Letter.pdf
The USMA Superintendent"s letter - http://www.westpoint.edu/news/Shared%20Documents/Supt%20Letter.pdf
The USMA news release - http://www.westpoint.edu/news/Shared%20Documents/WEST%20POINT%20PHOTO%20INQUIRY%20CLEARS%20CADETS.pdf
Then read the Army Times article - http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/2016/05/10/west-point-cadet-photo-inappropriate-but-not-political/84196326/
Bottom line is that it was deemed inappropriate and some of the participants knew it to be inappropriate. What disturbs me about the comments is that the one cadet understood that it may be so, and stated to the group "this isn't an EO violation and we won't get in trouble for it." So one or more knew that this could easily be taken as a violation.
What further disturbs me after having read the inquiry that they made the statement that this was a gesture of "unity, solidarity, and pride", and the raised fist used for that reason, makes me wonder. Are the cadets of West Point are so closed off from current events in both the civilian and military communities, that these soon to be commissioned officers do not know or understand that their actions and statement/s are directly reflective of both the Civil Rights and LGBT movements?
Unfortunately I believe that the spin placed on this by the institution of the USMA, will be difficult for some (including myself) after reading the open report to believe that they (the cadets) did not understand the implication of their statement.
LTG Robert L. Caslen Jr., Superintendent, United States Military Academy.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/10/us/west-point-cadets-photo/index.html

West Point clears black cadets over raised-fists photo
The 16 female, African-American cadets who appeared in a photograph with raised fists in uniform will not be punished for their controversial "Old Corps Photo."

West Point clears black cadets over raised-fists photo
The 16 female, African-American cadets who appeared in a photograph with raised fists in uniform will not be punished for their controversial "Old Corps Photo."
Don't let these ladies off. Hold them accountable as you would any enlisted or officer.
There will be negative repercussions from not holding these supposed LEADERS accountable for their actions.
I think the key lesson for the Cadets (and the Army, and America) is the power of Social Media, and how you need to be aware of not only what you are doing, and also how your organization and everyone else will perceive it.
(I am not tap-dancing, dodging the issue or crazy...I just don't believe these Cadets were making a BLM or Black-Panther Statement...For what it matters, I am also a conservative officer who worked at USMA for a few years).
The answer is unequivocally "Yes." Whatever reason or motivations they had for doing what they did, they still violated UCMJ by making a political statement in uniform, as simple as that. When someone wears a uniform, they cease to speak for themselves as an individual, and instead represent EVERY SINGLE PERSON who is wearing that same uniform.
The public perception does not view them as individuals first, it does not identify them by their name, but by their uniform. Even in the title of this question, the first words that describe the people involved in this actions are "West Point." Whenever a soldier finds themselves on the wrong side of the law, it is always "A Fort Bliss soldier" this, and "A Fort Carson Soldier" that, not "Joe Snuffy." They represent us all.
As the cream of the crop, Officers, most especially those from West Point, must be held to the highest standard. If we allow this sort of blatant defiance of the rules to go unchecked, we accept this as the new standard.
Here unfortunately I think there are any number of things the clenched black power "fascist fist" salute could potentially represent. I think had these been white males making any kind of Sieg Heil stiff armed salute things would be much different. But if you hammer these women too harshly you likely face an EO accusation for bias bigotry against African American women. Was their intent that this picture be widely disseminated?