The College Fix

Lawmakers raise concerns over erasure of historical content

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the U.S. Naval Academy to review and remove books that promote “diversity, equity, and inclusion” from its library this week.

Academy officials began an initial review to assess the library late last week and flagged approximately 900 books for further examination, the Associated Press reported.

Those books included “The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr.,” “Einstein on Race and Racism,” and a biography of Jackie Robinson, Inside Higher Ed reported.

Officials ultimately selected nearly 400 to be removed, starting the process on Monday and completing it before Hegseth’s (pictured) visit Tuesday, the AP reported. However, the academy has not released a full list of the books that were removed.

The review follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January to remove all DEI policies and practices from federal agencies.

“All service academies are fully committed to executing and implementing President Trump’s Executive Orders,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Tuesday.

“The U.S. Naval Academy is fully committed to executing and implementing all directives outlined in executive orders issued by the president and is currently reviewing the Nimitz Library collection to ensure compliance,” Navy spokesman Tim Hawkins told The New York Times.

He also said the academy’s library in Annapolis, Maryland, contains about “590,000 books, 322 databases, and more than 5,000 print journals and magazines,” The New York Times reported.

Defense Secretary Hegseth has urged the Department of Defense to eliminate DEI programs and online content. However, lawmakers have pushed back due to concern about the erasure of military heroes and historical references from websites and social media accounts, the AP reported.

“In response, the department has scrambled to restore some of those posts as their removals have come to light,” the outlet reported.

For example, on Monday, Naval Academy staff restored photos of notable female Jewish graduates from a display after they were removed during the review ahead of Hegseth’s visit.

Amid the review of DEI materials at the academy, a separate legal challenge is unfolding that targets another aspect of diversity initiatives.

A civil liberties group, Students for Fair Admissions, is currently challenging racial considerations in admissions at the Naval Academy in court, The College Fix previously reported.

SFFA is appealing a federal judge’s December ruling that upheld the U.S. Naval Academy’s use of race in admissions, arguing it serves a compelling national security interest in maintaining a diverse officer corps.

The group has also filed lawsuits against the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, challenging similar policies.

MORE: Naval professor’s new book flags leftist ideology infiltrating military

IMAGE CREDIT AND CAPTION: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth discusses new standards for combat; Media Magik Entertainment/Youtube

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