An undated image from Twitter shows 16 black, female cadets in uniform with their fists raised while posing for a photograph at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. (Associated Press)

THE 16 young West Point cadets had reason to be proud. They had just completed four years of arduous intellectual and physical education at the U.S. Military Academy , a program that few are qualified to enter, let alone complete. So they celebrated their accomplishment, much as other people do when they score a touchdown or sink a long putt. But these cadets are black women, and that, sadly, has opened them up to ill-deserved criticism and scrutiny.

A picture of the cadets in traditional gray dress uniforms taken on the steps of the academy’s oldest barracks as part of a long-held West Point ritual touched off a firestorm after it was posted on Facebook and Twitter. Self-appointed online custodians of morality faulted the women for posing with raised fists, a sign the critics contend showed allegiance to the Black Lives Matter movement and supposedly would put them in violation of Army rules that prohibit political activities while in uniform. West Point has launched a formal investigation.

The only thing we can see in the picture is a group of strong, confident young women enjoying their moment in the sun. Or to use the words seconded by acting Army secretary Patrick Murphy when he retweeted another picture from the photo session of the cadets holding swords, “Fearless, flawless, fierce.” According to supporters of the women, including those who have talked to them, the raised fist was a sign of unity and pride and sisterhood, nothing more. Said Mary Tobin, a 2003 graduate of West Point and mentor to some of the seniors, “That fist to them meant you and your sisters did what only a few people, male or female, have ever done in this country.”

Will their gesture be seen through a different lens by some observers? Perhaps. But that is not the cadets’ problem. If a group of white cadets had posed in the same position, there would be no controversy. Those who doubt that need only Google “fist pump” to see who is allowed to use what has become a mundane gesture of triumph.

Completing West Point is hard for anyone, but there is a special burden for black women. These 16 deserved that fist pump. The Army should make quick work of its investigation and make clear that it — not to mention the country — is lucky to have these women in uniform.