Naval Academy removes close to 400 books linked to DEI following DoD order

Apr 2

Kalé Carey Reporter

By Kalé Carey (Reporter), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)

The U.S. Naval Academy removed nearly 400 books from its library as part of a broader effort to comply with a Pentagon directive targeting DEI materials. Other service academies, including the Air Force Academy and West Point, were also instructed to review their library content.
The Pentagon’s memo, “Restoring America’s Fighting Force,” directed agencies to conduct a digital content update, removing works tied to race-based preferences and DEI initiatives.
The move has sparked criticism for removing historical content, including works on Jackie Robinson and the Tuskegee Airmen.

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The U.S. Naval Academy has removed close to 400 books from its library as part of an ongoing effort to comply with President Trump’s executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs across federal agencies, including curriculum or content.

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U.S. Naval Academy removes nearly 400 books

The books were removed as part of a broader initiative directed by the Pentagon to eliminate materials linked to DEI initiatives across federal agencies. The U.S. Naval Academy identified and removed works related to DEI, restricting student access to those materials. It’s unclear if Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave the direct order.

A U.S. official confirmed to The Associated Press the academy was ordered to remove all such books just days before Hegseth’s scheduled visit this week.

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In addition to the Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, also received orders to review their library content for DEI-related material.

The Associated Press reported a media outlet discovered the academies had not fully complied with the Trump administration’s directive to remove books encouraging DEI.

Warning given to other colleges, schools by Trump administration

In February, the Trump administration sent a memo to colleges and K-12 schools, warning they could lose federal funding if they continued to implement race-based preferences in admissions, scholarships, or other areas of student life. It remains unclear whether the Naval Academy, an undergraduate college, received the same directive, or if other service academies preparing students for active duty were also affected.

Pentagon clarifies DEI content removal

By the end of March, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the department was taking a strong stance in following the directives of both President Trump and Hegseth.

“Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken action to identify and archive DEI content from our websites and social media platforms,” Parnell said in a clarification video.

The move sparked criticism from lawmakers, military leaders and the public, particularly for the removal of historical accounts and stories of military heroes. Some notable figures, including baseball player and civil rights symbol Jackie Robinson and the Tuskegee Airmen, were among the content removed, only to be restored later.

“We want to be very, very clear: history is not DEI,” Parnell explained, referring to the content purge.

Memorandum to remove DEI content

The Pentagon’s memorandum, titled “Restoring America’s Fighting Force,” provided guidance for conducting a digital content update across the department’s platforms. Officials were given until March 5 to remove content related to preferential treatment based on sex, race, ethnicity or other DEI-related matters.

Tags: Air Force, DEI, Diversity and inclusion programs, Donald Trump, Executive Order, Navy, Pete Hegseth, The Pentagon, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army

[Kalé Carey]

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER TARGETING DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION PROGRAMS, ALONG WITH THEIR CURRICULUM, CONTINUES TO MAKE WAVES ACROSS THE NATION’S FEDERAL AGENCIES.

THE LATEST MOVE? IT’S IMPACTING THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY LIBRARY, WHERE BOOKS ARE NOW BEING REMOVED FROM THE SHELVES.

OFFICIALS IN MARYLAND REMOVED NEARLY 400 BOOKS UNDER DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH’S ORDER.

THE NAVAL ACADEMY IDENTIFIED WORKS LINKED TO DEI, REMOVING THEM FROM STUDENT ACCESS.

ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, A U.S. OFFICIAL REVEALED THE ACADEMY WAS INSTRUCTED TO REMOVE ALL SUCH BOOKS—JUST DAYS BEFORE HEGSETH’S SCHEDULED VISIT THIS WEEK.

THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY IN COLORADO AND THE MILITARY ACADEMY IN NEW YORK ALSO RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO REVIEW THEIR LIBRARY CONTENT.

THE AP REPORTS A MEDIA OUTLET DISCOVERED THAT THE ACADEMIES HAD NOT YET COMPLIED WITH TRUMP’S ORDER TO REMOVE BOOKS ENCOURAGING DEI.

IN FEBRUARY, COLLEGES AND K-12 SCHOOLS RECEIVED A MEMO FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WARNING THEY COULD LOSE FEDERAL FUNDING IF THEY CONTINUED RACE-BASED PREFERENCES IN ADMISSIONS, SCHOLARSHIPS OR OTHER ASPECTS OF STUDENT LIFE.

HOWEVER, IT’S UNCLEAR WHETHER THE NAVAL ACADEMY, AS AN UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE, RECEIVED THE SAME MESSAGE—OR IF OTHER ACADEMIES PREPARING STUDENTS FOR ACTIVE MILITARY OR AIR FORCE SERVICE DID.

BY THE END OF MARCH, CHIEF PENTAGON SPOKESMAN SEAN PARNELL STATED THE AGENCY IS TAKING A STRONG STAND IN FOLLOWING BOTH TRUMP’S AND HEGSETH’S DIRECTIVES.

(“Over the past few weeks we’ve taken action to identify and archive DEI content from our websites and social media platforms.”)

THIS MOVE HAS DRAWN CRITICISM FROM LAWMAKERS, LEADERS, AND THE PUBLIC, PARTICULARLY FOR REMOVING HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS AND STORIES OF MILITARY HEROES.

PARNELL EXPLAINED, AS PENTAGON OFFICIALS BEGAN COMBING THROUGH THEIR DATABASE, SOME CONTENT—EITHER MALICIOUSLY OR ACCIDENTALLY—WAS INCORRECTLY REMOVED.

(“We want to be very, very clear history is not DEI.”)

BASEBALL PLAYER AND CIVIL RIGHTS SYMBOL JACKIE ROBINSON, THE FIRST BLACK MILITARY PILOTS—KNOWN AS THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN—AND OTHER CONTENT CELEBRATING WOMEN AND MARGINALIZED GROUPS WERE REMOVED, ONLY FOR SOME TO BE LATER RESTORED.

THE MEMORANDUM, “RESTORING AMERICA’S FIGHTING FORCE,” PROVIDED GUIDANCE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND ITS AGENCIES TO CONDUCT A DIGITAL CONTENT UPDATE ACROSS THEIR PLATFORMS.

OFFICIALS WERE GIVEN UNTIL MARCH 5TH TO REMOVE CONTENT TIED TO PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT BASED ON SEX, RACE, ETHNICITY, OR OTHER DEI-RELATED MATTERS.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M KALÉ CAREY.

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