The Alabama Air National Guard’s F-35 Lightnings have red tails, a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black military pilots in the U.S. who flew red-tailed P-51 Mustangs during World War II. Their success helped desegregate the U.S. military. However, shortly after President Donald Trump took office, the Air Force briefly removed training videos about the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) from its basic training base in San Antonio.
This move was quickly reversed after a bipartisan outcry, but it highlights the confusion caused by Trump’s executive orders and actions since his second term began. The administration has had to backtrack on several decisions, such as freezing federal grants and loans, which caused widespread chaos.
The specific order that led to the Air Force’s decision calls for an end to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the federal government and any organizations receiving federal funding. This order has caused alarm and confusion:
The Army temporarily removed its sexual assault regulations from its website before restoring them.
The Defense Intelligence Agency paused special observances, including Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance, Women’s Equality Day, and National American Indian Heritage Month.
The CIA reportedly canceled Black History Month acknowledgments, citing compliance with the order and Office of Personnel Management guidance. The agency dissolved its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and related DEI programs.
These actions have alarmed advocates for inclusion, who fear that efforts to diversify the federal workforce are being undermined. In some cases, compliance with the order risks erasing parts of U.S. history and culture.
Adia Harvey Wingfield, a sociology professor at Washington University in St. Louis, noted that while a 2023 Supreme Court decision limited affirmative action in college admissions, it is a “far cry” from removing information about historically significant groups like the Tuskegee Airmen.
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