Emails Seem To Confirm Trump Anti-DEI Order Responsible For Removal Of Black Soldiers Memorial From Dutch Cemetery
Source: Blativity
Emails Seem To Confirm Trump Anti-DEI Order Responsible For Removal Of Black Soldiers Memorial From Dutch Cemetery
By Christopher Rhodes • Jan 2, 2026
The removal last year of a memorial honoring Black American World War II soldiers in Europe sparked concern on both sides of the Atlantic. Now, internal government memos provide new insights concerning when and why the decision was made to take away the information about Black contributions to the war, confirming the impact of the Trump administration’s policies against diversity, equity and inclusion.
Newsweek reported in November about the removal of two commemorative plaques honoring Black soldiers at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, a village near the city of Maastricht. At the time, the reason for the removal was unclear, with local officials not receiving prior notification that the plaques would be taken down. The timing and circumstances of the removal, however, suggested that the decision was taken in response to President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI policies. Now, emails obtained by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and reviewed by Newsweek confirm that Trump’s order was the impetus for the removal.
In the emails, officials with the American Battle Monuments Commission, which administers the Margraten site and other American cemeteries abroad, discuss the impact of an executive order Trump issued in March targeting diversity, equity and inclusion policies. In the emails, officials within ABMC agree to “do a scrub to be sure we have nothing that might run our agency awry of this EO” and specifically look to see if “there might be any panel displays that would get us in trouble at any visitor center,” followed by a reference to the Margraten cemetery. These newly revealed conversations lend credence to the previous assumption that Trump’s policies were the cause of the removal.
Trump’s anti-DEI stance leads to historical whitewashing
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Read more: https://blavity.com/trump-anti-dei-order-emails-black-soldiers-removal-memorial
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