Significant Shift in Arlington National Cemetery’s Online Content
In a move aligning with recent federal directives, Arlington National Cemetery has begun a substantial overhaul of its online content. This transformation involves removing histories that highlight the contributions of Black, Hispanic, and women veterans, in accordance with a directive from President Trump to eliminate references supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion within federal agencies.
An anonymous U.S. official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter, informed NPR that this initiative has been termed a “digital content refresh” by senior Pentagon officials. The initial report about this development was published by The Washington Post.
Under this new strategy, any articles, images, and videos considered to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) will be removed from the site. This includes the stories of prominent figures like General Colin Powell, the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the 8666 Postal Corps, the first all-Black female unit to serve overseas during World War II. Although these stories are not featured prominently anymore, they remain accessible through the website’s search feature.
The Pentagon has also designated thousands of images featuring diverse veterans for removal from the site, as reported by the Associated Press.
Graves with flags for Memorial Day are seen in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Va., Monday, May 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Jacquelyn Martin
/AP
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Jacquelyn Martin
/AP
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
