Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins has been chosen as Virginia Military Institute’s first Black superintendent amid allegations of racism at VMI and the school’s historic ties to the Confederacy, The Roanoke Times reported.
Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins
Wins – a 1985 VMI alum – retired from the U.S. Army in 2019 after 34 years. He was appointed as VMI interim superintendent in November.
By unanimous vote Apr. 15, VMI’s board of visitors made Wins’s position permanent.
The military school is currently under independent investigation for racism allegations. An interim report found that racial slurs have been common and that many incidents of sexual harassment and assault have occurred since women were admitted to VMI.
“The college has made progress since the investigation began. It removed the statue of Jackson from campus in December. Kasey Meredith will be the first woman to lead the Corps of Cadets as regimental commander for the 2021-22 school year,” The Roanoke Times reported.
Wins said in a video addressing alumni that he met with the investigative team for an interview about his assessment of VMI.
“I wanted to ensure that I could get from the investigative team their commitment that they were looking at this thing with an unbiased lens and that they were going to be fair in their assessment,” he said. “I have an expectation that they will certainly give us things that will be actionable.”
Wins holds master’s degrees from Florida Institute of Technology and the National War College.
