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Arlington National Cemetery stops highlighting some historical figures on its website

By Tom Bowman,
Ayana Archie
Published March 14, 2025 at 11:20 PM EDT
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
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)

Arlington National Cemetery has begun wiping from its website histories highlighting Black, Hispanic and women veterans. The change is in line with President Trump's directive to remove references to and support for diversity, equity and inclusion from the federal government.

A U.S. official not authorized to talk to media told NPR the removal of links and sections about these groups have been dubbed a "digital content refresh" by top Pentagon officials.

The story was first reported by Civil War historian Kevin M. Levin on his Substack newsletter and by Task & Purpose, a publication focused on military news.

Articles, photos and videos that are seen as promoting DEI will be removed under the new approach.

For example, Gen. Colin Powell was the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was the first corps comprised only of Black women to work overseas during World War II. Their stories are no longer prominent on the website, but can still be found using the search function.

Additionally, the Pentagon has marked thousands of photos representing diverse veterans to be removed from the website, according to the Associated Press.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Corrected: March 15, 2025 at 8:09 AM EDT
A previous version incorrectly said that the story was first reported by The Washington Post. In fact, it was first reported by Civil War historian Kevin M. Levin on his Substack newsletter and by Task & Purpose, a publication focused on military news. And the name of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was misstated as the 8666 Postal Corps.
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Tom Bowman
Tom Bowman is a NPR National Desk reporter covering the Pentagon.
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Ayana Archie
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