A day after reports that the Air Force was removing an informational video about the famed Tuskegee Airmen because the Trump administration opposes diversity, equity and inclusion policies, the government reversed course. The video has been returned to the Air Force curriculum, preserving information about a significant part of Black and U.S. military history.

Tuskegee Airmen and WASPs videos restored

On Sunday, the U.S. Air Force released a statement saying a video about the Tuskegee Airmen was restored to the curriculum for Air Force trainees after the video passed a DEI review. The Tuskegee Airmen included 450 pilots who served in segregated units during World War II. Their impressive performance is thought to have influenced President Harry Truman’s decision to desegregate the U.S. military in 1948. A video about World War II-era Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs) was also restored. “No Airmen or Guardians will miss this block of instruction due to the revision, however one group of trainees had the training delayed,” Lieutenant General Brian Robinson, who leads the Air Education and Training Command, said in the statement, per NBC News.

News of videos’ removal sparked backlash

As Blavity reported, a memo circulated at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland announcing the videos were being removed from the training program for new Air Force recruits “in accordance with NEW DEIA Guidance.” The news sparked outrage over the weekend, with advocacy groups and concerned citizens accusing the Trump administration of attempting to whitewash history by suppressing information about the Tuskegee Airmen. On Saturday, Tuskegee Airmen Inc. issued a statement condemning the removal of the videos and calling on “the President and the Secretary of Defense to immediately rescind this action and provide clear guidance to all government agencies to restore the courses to their former status.” The restoration of the videos was announced the following day.

Trump administration opposes DEI, other diversity initiatives

The back and forth concerning the videos of the Tuskegee Airmen and the WASPs come amid a barrage of hostile actions from the Trump administration against DEI and other diversity-promoting policies. In his first days in office, Trump issued executive orders to eliminate all DEI programs in the federal government and remove all personnel involved in these activities. He also rescinded previous orders that upheld affirmative action for federal contractors and strengthened enforcement of anti-discrimination policies. On Saturday, the Senate confirmed conservative Pete Hegseth as the next secretary of defense; Hegseth had previously pledged to purge the military of generals “involved in any of the DEI woke s**t.”

With such hostility from the new administration, moves such as removing the Tuskegee Airmen video will likely become more frequent. The reversal of that decision represents a win for those who want Black and American history and American history taught faithfully and preserved. Still, a victory in this particular battle is expected to be followed by a continuing fight against the Trump administration’s hostility toward acknowledging and promoting diversity.

Tuskegee Airmen