Arlington Cemetery website scrubs links about Black and female veterans
Pentagon leaders have ordered that their websites and social media pages remove articles and images that “promote” DEI.
Summarize
Tobi Raji
Arlington National Cemetery on Aug. 16, 2021. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
Arlington National Cemetery has scrubbed information about prominent Black, Hispanic and female service members and topics such as the Civil War from its website, part of a broader effort across the Defense Department to remove all references to diversity, equity and inclusion from its online presence.
A cemetery spokesperson confirmed Friday that it removed internal links directing users to webpages listing the dozens of “Notable Graves” of Black, Hispanic and female veterans and their spouses.
On these pages, users could read short biographies about the people buried in the cemetery, including Gen. Colin L. Powell, the youngest and first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs; Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first Black man to sit on the high court; and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is buried alongside her husband, Martin Ginsburg, an Army veteran.
President Donald Trump signed
executive orders on his first day in office banning DEI in federal programs and contracts. Since then, directives from Pentagon leaders
have ordered the removal of all news and feature articles, photos and videos that “promote” DEI.
In a statement to The Washington Post, a spokesperson for the cemetery said they are working to ensure that the content posted on the website complies with the administration’s policies.
“We are proud of our educational content and programming and working diligently to return removed content to ensure alignment with Department of Defense instruction 5400.17 and Executive Orders issued by the President,” the spokesperson said.
“We remain committed to sharing the stories of military service and sacrifice to the nation with transparency and professionalism, while continuing to engage with our community in a manner that reflects our core values,” they added.
The removals were first reported by Civil War historian Kevin Levin on his Substack “
Civil War Memory” and further reported on by
Task and Purpose.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote in a
February memo that by March 5, the department “must take all practicable steps, consistent with records management requirements, to remove all DoD news and feature articles, photos, and videos that promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While Arlington Cemetery has removed internal links to the webpages, some of the material can be found by copying and pasting the link into a search bar.
However, the cemetery has completely removed educational materials on the Civil War and Medal of Honor recipients, among other topics. According to an archived version of “The Civil War” webpage, users could browse lesson plans, walking tours and other material. Now, users can read only a brief overview of the cemetery’s connection to the war at the top of the page.
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