*Jackie Robinson is widely celebrated for breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947, but his contributions to American history extend beyond the baseball field. Before becoming a Brooklyn Dodgers legend, Robinson served in the U.S. Army during World War II. His military career, however, has become the subject of controversy as part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) content from government websites, ABC News reports.
A Department of Defense webpage detailing Robinson’s military service was removed as part of a digital content purge following a February 27 memo from the Pentagon. The removal was part of an effort to strip DEI-related content from government platforms. Robinson’s military service, along with that of other historically significant minority figures such as the Tuskegee Airmen and the Navajo Code Talkers, was among the erased content, per Vibe.
The decision sparked criticism, particularly from Robinson’s family and historians. David Robinson, the Hall of Famer’s son and a board member of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, expressed disappointment in the removal.
“We were surprised to learn that a page on the Department of Defense’s website featuring Jackie Robinson among sports heroes who served in the military was taken down,” said Robinson, per TheGrio. “We take great pride in Jackie Robinson’s service to our country as a soldier and a sports hero, an icon whose courage, talent, strength of character and dedication contributed greatly to leveling the playing field not only in professional sports but throughout society.”
Robinson was drafted into the Army in 1942 and assigned to a segregated cavalry unit at Fort Riley, Kansas. During his service, he encountered racial discrimination, most notably in 1944 when he refused to move to the back of a military bus. His defiance led to his arrest and court-martial, though he was ultimately acquitted.
This used to be the URL for a story on the @DeptofDefense website about Jackie Robinson’s time in the Army. The story has been removed. The ghouls who did this should be ashamed. Jackie Robinson was the embodiment of an American hero. Fix this now. https://t.co/rEpZFUbJ8h
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 19, 2025
The Pentagon has defended the removal of Robinson’s page and similar content, with press secretary John Ullyot stating, “We do not view or highlight them through the prism of immutable characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, or sex. We do so only by recognizing their patriotism and dedication to the warfighting mission like every other American who has worn the uniform.”
Ullyot further dismissed DEI initiatives as “divisive” and “eroding unit cohesion.”
“Everyone at the Defense Department loves Jackie Robinson, as well as the Navajo Code Talkers, the Tuskegee airmen, the Marines at Iwo Jima and so many others — we salute them for their strong and in many cases heroic service to our country, full stop,” Ullyot said.
Following public backlash, the Department of Defense restored the webpage detailing Robinson’s service. A spokesperson attributed the removal to an “auto removal process” that mistakenly flagged the content. However, critics argue that the broad effort to eliminate DEI-related material has resulted in the erasure of critical historical contributions by women and minorities.
Spokesperson Sean Panell defended the removal, stating, “I think the president and the secretary have been very clear on this—that anybody that says in the Department of Defense that diversity is our strength, is frankly, incorrect,” he said.
Per the White House website, the Trump administration plans to “terminate every diversity, equity, and inclusion program across the entire federal government.”
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: National Outcry Leads to Restoration of Tuskegee Airmen Legacy in Military Training – Which was Cut Over Trump’s DEI Policy | VIDEO
Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
The post Trump Administration Erases Jackie Robinson’s Military Legacy from Government Website appeared first on EURweb.
