Arlington National Cemetery removed information about Black and women veterans after Trump’s order
Arlington National Cemetery (Photo: Getty Images)
Arlington National Cemetery has taken down pages from its website dedicated to notable Black, Hispanic, and women veterans as part of the Trump administration’s campaign to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in federal institutions, USA Today reports.
Arlington is one of the most significant military cemeteries in the United States, with over 400,000 graves, including those of presidents, generals, and prominent public figures. Until recently, its website provided educational materials about the contributions of African Americans, women, and Latinos to the armed forces. Now, those pages have disappeared.
"The story of Arlington is essentially a story of diversity, equity, and inclusion," said historian Kevin Levin, who first noticed the changes. "That is exactly what the Trump administration is trying to erase, which means rewriting our history."
Among the deleted materials were guided tours focused on notable Black service members and lesson plans about the Tuskegee Airmen and the Puerto Rican Borinqueneers regiment.
Large-scale DEI purge
These changes are part of Trump’s broader policy to dismantle DEI initiatives across all government institutions. In January, the president signed an order to end what he called "radical and wasteful" DEI programs, after which the Department of Defense mandated the removal of all references to DEI from official websites.
"The Department of Defense must be focused on winning wars," said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. "To do this, we must reward merit, outstanding achievements, and hard work, not enforce ideology."
The removal of materials affected not only Arlington but also other military websites. Articles about Black soldiers, Pride Month content, and historical records of distinguished officers were deleted. While some pages were restored after public backlash, the future of information about the contributions of minority groups remains uncertain.
This move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to roll back DEI initiatives. Just over a month ago, Axios reported that the White House had ordered federal agencies to reduce staff in DEI offices, arguing that such programs were "discriminatory" and ineffective.
