WASHINGTON, DC – The Arlington National Cemetery recently removed information on their website providing educational resources on Black, Hispanic and female service member history, according to BBC News.
Information eliminated included veterans who had “received the nation’s highest military recognition…the medal of honor,” detailed BBC.
BBC News reported this to be “part of a larger effort” following recent political notions led by President Donald Trump to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the military and federal government.
Particularly, as published by The White House, Trump’s revocation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in January marked the beginning of DEI practices being regarded as “illegal,” said BBC, noting this decision aimed, and has successfully begun to result in removal of DEI standards across industries throughout the U.S.
BBC News explained the cemetery, which holds approximately 400,000 veterans, was established during the Civil War at the home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
Previously accessible pages on “Notable Graves” of Black, Hispanic, and female veterans were missing from the website as of last Friday, added BBC News, including biographies of Gen. Colin Powell, the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and World War II members of the Tuskegee Airmen, the country’s first Black military pilots.
Following Trump’s DEI orders earlier this year, BBC News reported, the Defense Department “had to reinstate training materials” regarding the historically respected airmen because of “a national outcry over their removal.”
BBC News added educational resources regarding Hector Santa Anna, “a World War II bomber pilot and career military leader,” also regarded as a war hero, have also been taken off the site.
BBC News suggested that site visitors may have difficulty navigating information, because “links to major sections have disappeared,” including pages for “African American History, Hispanic American History and Women’s History.”
Removal of these links would result in fewer people having simple access to minority history, BBC News adds, also averting attention from important historical actors buried at the cemetery.
BBC News also said it found that some content on notable women, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and 14 members of the Six Triple Eight unit, remain accessible only through direct searches, and not intertwined with easily-accessible data.
“Since re-entering the White House,” BBC News states, “President Donald Trump has signed multiple executive orders banning DEI within the federal government.”
BBC News cited a spokesperson for Arlington National Cemetery, who explained in a Washington Post statement the cemetery is working to restore the content while ensuring compliance with Trump’s executive orders and guidance from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, adding the cemetery is “committed to sharing the stories of military service and sacrifice to the nation.”
BBC News also noted Rep. Adam Smith, “the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee,” and his open criticism of the content removal.
BBC News cites an interview with the New York Times (NYT), Smith referred to the situation as “deeply concerning. Even if you have concerns about the way DEI was handled in a number of different places, I’ve never seen a problem within the military.”
Since his recent reelection, BBC News articulated, Trump has made drastic military changes, particularly in the firing of America’s top General CQ Brown, who he said is “a Black man who had supported diversity in the armed forces.”
Noting different perspectives, BBC News acknowledged former Fox News Host Secretary Hegseth, who “pledged to root out all diversity initiatives” and referred to General Brown as “woke.”
Arlington National Cemetery represents American military sacrifice and history, as highlighted by their website. However, the recent changes have sparked debate among political leaders listed by BBC News, about how the country acknowledges and honors the contributions of diverse service members.
BBC News wrote that out of the 2.03 million U.S. military members, 20 percent are women “on active duty or in reserves,” 30 percent identify as minorities, including Black and Native American, adding 18 percent identify as Hispanic, as shown by the most recent Defense Department report.
