Jackie Robinson is a prominent figure in the Black community, being the first African Americans to play in Major League Baseball. Robinson was also a big part of the Civil Rights movement as he appeared with Martin Luther King at rallies, fundraising events and demonstrations. In early life, Robinson joined the army and attended officer school where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. On March 19, a story dedicated to Robinson was removed from the Pentagon website titled “Sports Heroes Who Have Served.” It was later restored the same day after backlash for the decision.
“Some important content was incorrectly pulled offline to be reviewed. We want to be very very clear, history is not DEI,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said.
This was no mistake of the Department of Defense but a clear notion of the Trump administration to promote racism. The removal of the story is a disgrace to Black American history because Robinson did not earn his accomplishments through a diversity program but through merit and honor.
The Trump administration has continued to purge any sight of diversity, equity and inclusion within the federal government. Recently, the DOD has begun removing stories about certain languages that promote DEI. Several stories were taken down under the jurisdiction relating to the history of people of color, LGBTQ individuals and women who have made contributions to the military.
This is not the first time the administration has been caught in an act of racism. Earlier this year, the Air Force removed course videos that featured the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black military pilots who served in the AAF during World War II. A story about the Airmen has also been removed from the Pentagon website with no restoration. The Arlington National Cemetery has begun removing the histories of Black, Hispanic and women war heroes.
“I’ll tell him to his face. No problem,” Tuskegee Airmen Col. James H. Harvey III said. “I’ll tell him, ‘You’re a racist,’ and see what he has to say about that. What can they do to me? Just kill me, that’s all.”
The White House will continue to blame the use of AI generated tools for the removal of these important stories but will never openly admit to promoting the return of the confederacy.
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