Recently, there were claims that the name of Medgar Evers, a famous civil rights leader and World War veteran, was removed from the Arlington National Cemetery website. However, a spokesperson clarified that his name was just moved to another part of the site.
Now, social media influencers are saying that Colin Powell’s name has also been taken off the list of notable Americans buried at the cemetery. It has been reported that several web pages celebrating Black and women veterans have been deleted from the cemetery’s website. This change seems to follow actions taken by former President Donald Trump to reduce diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the government.
Talking Point Memo shared that an old webpage from 2008, which praised President Harry Truman’s efforts to integrate the military in 1948, has also disappeared, despite being available last year.
In response to these changes, a spokesperson stated: “As Secretary Hegseth has said, DEI is dead at the Defense Department. Efforts to divide the forces by prioritizing one group over another through DEI programs can harm teamwork and mission success. We are happy that many in the Department have quickly followed the orders to remove DEI content from all platforms. If any content that shouldn’t have been removed gets deleted, we guide the related departments accordingly.”
Users on Elon Musk’s platform, X, fact-checked these claims and noted, “No individuals have been removed from the Notable Graves listings on the Arlington Cemetery website. Colin Powell can still be found under ‘Prominent Military Figures.’”
Additional Note: Colin Powell was a distinguished Black general and statesman. He served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993, during the Gulf War, and as Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005 during the early Iraq War. He is known for the “Powell Doctrine” and for breaking racial barriers. He passed away from COVID-19 complications in 2021.
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