Defense Department spends over $90,000 on Air Force Band diversity seminars

The Defense Department has awarded a $91,000 contract to the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra to provide diversity and inclusion seminars for the Air Force Band, according to a new report.

The orchestra was awarded the federal contract in May, records show. Fox News reported Wednesday that the funding is for diversity seminars for the 184-member band. The contract is set to expire in May 2023. 

"Black Pearl’s mission is to take the audience beyond spectatorship to participation in the musical experience by combining artistic excellence with cultural diversity and innovative community engagement," the orchestra states on its website.

The same orchestra received a $100,000 grant from the American Rescue Plan in June through the National Endowment for the Arts.

Earlier this month, a Reagan National Defense Survey found that public trust is declining in the military, with many stating that armed forces leadership is "overly politicized."